Malaga CF fans stage late-night airport reception after Las Palmas play-off win

Sport

Hundreds of supporters gathered at Arrivals in the early hours to welcome the squad back from Gran Canaria following a first-leg victory in the play-off semi-final

Jorge Garrido

Malaga CF supporters turned Malaga Airport into a late-night celebration after the side returned from Gran Canaria with a 1-0 win over Las Palmas in the first leg of their promotion play-off semi-final.

Hundreds of fans began gathering in the Arrivals area well before the charter flight landed, with the team bus arriving at around 2:40am.

The flight was expected between 3am and 3:30am, but players and staff did not emerge until around 4:15am, by which point the crowd had grown and chants were continuous, including renditions of the club anthem.

When the squad eventually appeared, players including Chupete and Izan Merino stopped to celebrate with fans, jumping and singing along to popular terrace chants. The atmosphere quickly escalated into a spontaneous celebration as the squad reacted with surprise from inside the bus.

The scenes reinforced the strong connection between supporters and the squad as Malaga moved one step closer to the play-off final.

The club will now prepare for the second leg at La Rosaleda on Wednesday, where another large reception is expected pre-match.