Judge rejects arrest and €8.6 million bail for Malaga Football Club owner in Spain

The Association of Small Shareholders and the Town Hall in Malaga were hopeful that their official complaint against the owner of Malaga Football Club, Sheikh Al-Thani, would be fruitful. However, their attempt to overthrow the Sheikh were unsuccessful.

The examining magistrate dismissed the request for precautionary measures against the Al-Thani family, considering the request ‘disproportionate’. The complaint was filed last October and defended the removal of the Sheikh and his children from the management of the Club.

In the complaint, the Association highlighted insufficiencies in the patrimonial and financial management of the football club and possible criminal activity. They demanded the arrest of the Sheikh in relation to the financial ruin of the club and requested that bail is set at €8,676,849.

The judge announced that the documentation presented by the Association was insufficient and expressed that investigation procedures should be continued. She also rejected the precautionary measures, since the restriction of the defendant’s rights could not be carried out based on the documents. To conclude, the judge declared that there was no evidence to suggest that the club’s economic situation was the direct result of a crime.