HTwo decades have passed but they are still heroes of Malaguismo. The club had just returned to the elite of Spanish football when a generation of homegrown players, mostly from Malaga, managed to place the subsidiary in the Second Division. In 2003, Malaga B was the only second team in the silver category. “It was a feat,” that’s how the group remembers it. Juanito, Nacho, Juan Rodríguez, Calatayud, Lex Geijo and Juanma review with MARCA the best moments of a golden stage.
It was a team that was made to be in the Third Division and we ended up in the Second Division, with many players from Malaga
“It was a team that was made to be in the Third Division and we ended up in the Second Division, with many players from Malaga,” says Nacho Prez, who later made a career at Betis. The architect of that promotion was Antonio Tapia. The coach always hoped to get promoted. “He gave us the drive to be footballers. I remember that on matchday two he told us that we were going to go up”, recalls Juanmaleft side of that team.
Juanitoone of the captains of that generation, also referred to the master. “Tapia would arrive and say: “we do this, this, this, and we will win.” that was a visionary.” The rise of that team was peak. The reserve team needed to win their two games against Lanzarote and for Real Union and Gramanet to tie on the last day. And so it happened. They had a lot of fault Lex Geijo’s 20 goalswhom his teammates point out as the MVP of that team. “I haven’t seen them for a long time because I live abroad. I left my country when I was only 20 years old, with a different language… I came here as a test and they welcomed me as if I had been there for 10 years”says the striker, the target of many of the jokes of his teammates for being the most clueless of the group.
They were some impressive seasons, we are still sorry for not having been able to play more together in the First Division
Juan Rodriguez He also remembers those years fondly. “They were some impressive seasons, we are still sorry for not having been able to play more together in the First Division. I will never forget everything that Tapia did for me”confessed the midfielder who later played for Deportivo and Getafe. Calatayudthe best goalkeeper in the history of the Malaguista academy, was one of those who dared to tell the most anecdotes. “The bus trips were incredible. Watching rival videos, which nobody did at that time and stretching at any gas station along the way” (laughs). Together they have more than 1,000 games in the First Division. An example for all those homegrown players who now knock on the door of a Malaga CF more in need than ever of their Academy.
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