Sheikh Abdullah became the only foreign owner in the Spanish first division last month when he bought Malaga for €10.5 million, taking on €36 million of debt.
Gambling is illegal in Qatar in accordance with Islamic law. It is understood Sheikh Abdullah is open to talks with other companies who want to sponsor the team.
“We don’t want to turn everything upside down and cancel contracts but let’s put it this way: I’m a smoker but I don’t smoke in my home because these are the rules and I want to protect my family,” Sheikh Abdullah’s business associate Abdullah Ghubn said in an interview at Malaga’s training ground.
According to Bloomberg, William Hill has a contract with Malaga that runs through to 2012. William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said he wasn’t aware of Sheikh Abdullah’s decision, but said: “if they come to us with a query about the deal then we’ll be happy to discuss it.”
