Former Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga Coach Manuel Pellegrini believes his tactics were appropriated by the Spain national team.
Pellegrini, now manager of Manchester City, has spoken at length to Chilean publication El Mercurio and trumpeted his influence on Spain’s style during his time in La Liga.
“I changed the way they played in Spain, using loose midfielders instead of players in fixed positions. That was acquired by the Spain team,” he said, Marca reports.
“In La Liga, before I went to Villarreal, they used forwards as wingers but I produced more mobile midfielders with space.
“What I did at Villarreal was bigger than winning trophies. There I achieved what no one had ever done, and no one ever will.
“And I accomplished something no one had ever done at Malaga either. Then I went to Madrid and we had the best season in the club’s history to that point, but didn’t win trophies.
“I did things that no one did before. Is that a coincidence?”
Pellegrini expanded on his time at Madrid and Malaga, revealing he didn’t regret leaving Santiago Bernabeu empty-handed as otherwise, he never would have gone to La Rosaleda.
“If I’d have been a champion with Madrid I’d never had trained Malaga and that was the most important decision of my career,” he recalled.
“To form an entirely new club and go where we did, that for me is much more than a trophy with Madrid.
“I had many offers, chose Malaga and it was the best decision of my career.”
Having spent a few years in the Premier League, Pellegrini was asked for his thoughts on the standard of football across the world.
“The best football is played in Spain but the best League is the Premier League, and by far the clubs are stronger, the level is more even, matches are life and death,” he said.
“There’s high intensity, no better environment, full stadiums, but the best football is Spanish, and you just have to see who wins in Europe.
“In Spain there are the best players and best teams in the world. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo obscure Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos, etc…”
Pellegrini’s time in England has allowed him to come up against his Madrid replacement, Jose Mourinho, who also succeeded Pellegrini as a Premier League champion.
“When he wins, Mourinho wants to take full credit. I didn’t do that when I won the Premier League,” he noted.
“I don’t have a problem with him. He’s not my enemy and there’s no conflict, but I disagree with him on everything. I don’t want to analyse him as a person.”
