Manuel Pellegrini is receiving plenty of praise for his achievements with Real Betis, once again challenging in the European places and winning the Copa del Rey this year. Some would say he is a candidate for manager of the year in Spain.
During the week, Pellegrini conceded an interview to Chilean radio program Keno Trotamundos, where the Chilean spoke at length about his career and Chilean football. The interview naturally began touching on the recent Copa del Rey victory for his side, with the intimation being that he was the best ever Chilean manager.
“It moved me a lot that they shouted my name. The celebration, the atmosphere and the euphoria of the fans. We went on the bus to celebrate and there were 45,000 people around the stadium. That’s a thrill and an experience that I have seen few times in my managerial career. It was a very beautiful feeling.”
He was also asked about his goalkeeper and long-time captain of the Chilean national side, Claudio Bravo. Pellegrini brought Bravo in two summers ago and despite some high-profile mistakes, most notably in the Seville derby, has retained his trust in the shot-stopper.
Speaking more generally about his job, Pellegrini revealed that “90% of the success of a manager is the management of the group,” which perhaps isn’t talked about as the defining trait for managers by many.
Pushed for whether he would be interested in the Chilean national team position at some point, Pellegrini distanced himself from anything of the sort in the near future.
“I like managing a club more than a national team. The job of national selector is more administrative with less time on the pitch. Simply put, it’s not my profile.”
