Malaga are free to play in the Europa League next season should they qualify, after their one-year ban from European club football was rescinded.
The club from the Costa del Sol had been banned from European competition by Uefa due to financial irregularities, namely outstanding payments to other teams, staff and the tax man.
But Malaga took an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which overturned Uefa’s decree that they would be banned from the next European competition they qualified for, within a four-year period.
The European ban and €300 000 fine imposed on Malaga was seen as a sign that Uefa would seek to enforce their new Financial Fair Play rule with a heavy hand.
But Malaga’s ability to avoid their punishment on appeal means other clubs will fancy their chances when falling foul of Uefa’s FFP system.
With two La Liga matches left to play this season, Malaga- who made the quarter-finals of the Champions League earlier this year- are currently sixth on the log.
They are well-placed to qualify for the Europa League, which could mean the expected exodus of top players from the club during the off-season will be less severe than predicted.
