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The Dutch striker says his new club \ Care and Vision 's owner is with Qatar \ reconstruction "to create a power base in southern Spain

It 's hard to resist interview Ruud van Nistelrooy and the temptation of your tongue firmly in cheek, the wedge and open the question with the obvious joke. Sitting next to him to escape, a pair of northern Europeans on plastic chairs under the shade of a withdrawal of the empty stand the relentless sun of the Costa del Sol sits, the mind inevitably wanders wife Debbie McGee Merton interrogate about her relationship with Paul Daniels. So, Ruud, what it was, it has multi-millionaire at the Malaga Club de Futbol?

Van Nistelrooy was top scorer in the Dutch league top scorer in the English league, top scorer in the Spanish league top scorer in the Champions League have been. Three times. He has won five league titles in three different countries and generated 35 times for his country. Malaga, now have ... well, they have a record number of actions in the First Division. The problem is that to say 'sa roundabout way, they have banned a lot - 12 times. They have invented new and bust in all its forms and not have a single trophy.

What they have is money too suddenly. A lot of money. A little more than a year ago they were in administration, but before the start of last season, bought the Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, the club for ? 36 million. Earlier this season, she admitted that the club 's budget would be ? 150 million - easily the biggest in its history and the third largest in La Liga after Real Madrid and Barcelona. A new force has appeared on the Spanish scene, promised a power base in the south of the center (Madrid) and north (Barcelona) challenge.

Malaga nine players this summer for almost ? 60 million have been signed. Diego Buonanotte arrived, as well as Nacho Monreal, Jérémy Toulalan, Joris Mathijsen, Sergio Sánchez, Joaquín Sánchez and Francisco Román, known as Isco. The last to arrive was the Spanish international Santi Cazorla. Have paid the ? 19 million covered Malaga Villarreal for him their entire budget just a few seasons ago. In a league where players are often unpaid - Malaga have the chance to open their season against Barcelona last Sunday, because the players 'strike - they pay now and pay well.

It was Fernández who discovered Dani Alves and Julio Baptista for Sevilla. Pellegrini took Villarreal to the Champions League semi-final and second place in La Liga. When his embryonic Málaga side looked on the verge of relegation last season, rather than sacking him the club renewed his contract. There is a complicity between coach and club so conspicuously lacking when Pellegrini was at Real Madrid. There has been investment in the youth academy, and for all the cash and the sheer number of signings there is a logic to it all.

Was that a surprise?