Former Real Madrid and Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini is in pole position to be appointed Real Betis boss.
The Chilean is well-respected within Spanish football having enjoyed stints at the helm of Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga.
As outlined by Marca and Diario AS, Pellegrini – who has been out of work since leaving West Ham in December – is now the favourite to be appointed at Betis, following the dismissal of Rubi last week.
The deal has not yet been finalised and is dependent on other factors, with Pellegrini keen for sporting director Mario Husillos – whom he worked alongside at Malaga and West Ham – to head a new-look sporting department at the Seville-based club.
Pellegrini coached Villarreal between 2004 and 2009 – famously steering them to the Champions League semi-final in 2006 – before his appointment at Real Madrid, whom he left after just one season having failed to win a trophy despite Los Blancos collecting 96 points in La Liga.
He then spent three years at Malaga – who were within one minute of the last four in the Champions League in 2013 before going down to Borussia Dortmund – and then spent a further three campaigns at Manchester City, with whom he won the Premier League title in his debut season.
Pellegrini subsequently had stints in charge at Hebei China Fortune and West Ham, whom he guided to a top half finish in the Premier League last season before his dismissal in December.
Former Malaga and Watford boss Javi Gracia and Marcelino Garcia Toral, most recently at Valencia, have also been linked – via Estadio Deportivo.
A sensational report in El Desmarque from Monday suggested Betis vice-president José Miguel López Catalán is championing the idea of reappointing Quique Setien – currently at Barcelona after leaving Betis a year ago – as boss this summer, although such a move appears unlikely at this juncture.
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“Once, me and my wife partied with George Clooney and Megan Fox and came home at 6am. The day after, I scored a goal and assisted against Werder in the Champions League. After I saw that was possible, I wasn’t afraid to repeat it.”– Find out which former Real Madrid star said this right here.
