Malaga announce Jose Alberto’s dismissal after 5-0 pasting at the hands of Ibiza

Malaga dismissed Jose Alberto as their first-team coach on Monday evening according to a report by Diario AS.

Juan Francisco Funes, currently coach of Atletico Malagueno, Malaga’s B team down in Tercera, will assume control of the first team on a temporary basis until a replacement is secured.

Manolo Gaspar, Malaga’s sporting director, had seemed determined to back the Asturian coach but the opinion of supporters has turned in recent times and swayed him. Alberto’s contract with the Andalusian club had been set to run until 2023.

Malaga were in 14th place at the time of the dismissal with 31 points to their name. This is a similar performance to 2020/21 but with a much better squad. Malaga’s 5-0 defeat to Paco Jemez’s Ibiza last Saturday is thought to have been the final straw.

Alberto is the third coach Malaga have sacked since they returned to Segunda in 2017/18. The others were Juan Ramon Muniz and Victor Sanchez del Amo.