Malaga general manager Fernando Hierro announced his resignation on Monday night, throwing the Qatari-backed club’s planning for next season into disarray.
The Spaniard said his departure was for “personal reasons” but refused to go into any detail on reported problems behind the scenes at the Andalucian club.
“I am here to tell you of my decision to not continue as general manager of Malaga,” said Hierro. “It is a personal decision. There is no one reason, it is the day to day, whether you feel comfortable or not.”
Last season was very successful for Malaga on the pitch as they secured a fourth-place finish and a spot in the qualifying stages of next year’s Champions League.
Off the pitch, things ran less smoothly, with the owners’ commitment questioned as players’ wages reportedly arrived late and Osasuna and Villarreal complained to the Spanish authorities about unpaid transfer fees.
Malaga-born Hierro said the death of former advisor to the board Jose Carlos Perez in February had affected the management of the club’s affairs. “We have missed him a lot,” he said. “These have been difficult months. I have not spoken with the owners about the future.
“But I have no doubt that the owners are going to keep advancing the project. They have invested a lot of money and brought excitement to the city. I believe this project has a future.”
