Malaga CF promotes from within again as reserve-team coach Malaga CF takes over the reins

After the dismissal of Sergio Pellicer, Malaga CF has named Juan Francisco Funes their new head coach.

The 42-year-old steps up from Atletico Malagueño in a move that mirrors Pellicer’s own first appointment when he replaced Víctor Sánchez del Amo.

Loren Juarros was the sporting director of the club during this process. After Pellicer’s dismissal, they had assessed several candidates. SUR can confirm the club considered options including Rubén Albés but they ultimately chose continuity by elevating Funes.

Funes spent six years as the head coach of the reserve squad and guided it to promotion to Segunda RFEF in last season. That said, Malagueño have endured a difficult start to the current campaign in the fourth tier, where they sit bottom of Group 4 with a single win from 11 matches.

Francis Bravo, a former Malaga player, will take charge of the Reserve side.

Continuity

Funes acknowledged that the task was huge in a brief club video. He said he felt “really excited about” the opportunity.

His credentials are in line with the preferred profile of the club because he has been a club figure for a long time and knows a lot about the first-team, having watched many of them develop through their youth ranks.

Almost forty players from his academy have now reached the senior level.

Funes now inherits an injury-hit squad that has collected only eight points from their last 33 and sit just outside the relegation places in Segunda División.