Ben Pawlowski
THOUSANDS of Malaga CF fans descended on Costa del Airport in the early hours of Sunday morning to welcome home their players hours after the side dramatically secured promotion to Spain’s second tier, known as Segunda.
Videos shared on social media showed supporters chanting throughout the night as the Malaga CF squad returned from Tarragona where they had secured a 4-3 play-off aggregate win over Gimnastic, sealing promotion back to Segunda at the first time of asking.
Malaga CF knew they needed to avoid defeat to confirm promotion but found themselves 2-0 down in extra time against 10-men Gimnastic, before goals in the 108th and 122nd minute saw the side triumph in the most dramatic fashion possible.
The victory represents a turning point for a club who as recently as 2012 reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, but have since struggled and slipped down the leagues.
On Sunday evening, the team will parade through the city on an open-top bus before heading to the balcony of Malaga City Hall where they are bound to be joined by thousands of adoring supporters.
