Hassan Chamas
Florentino Perez has returned to the place where he established himself as a reputable lord in the world of European football’s mafia. One of the president's very first acts was to recruit Villarreal’s Manuel Pellegrini. Two months on and nearly a quarter of a billion euros later, Real Madrid’s new coach is in line for his biggest challenge yet.
Born in Santiago, Chile, on the 16th September, 1953, Manuel Luis Pellegrini Ripamonti took a step outside the box when he signed in 1973 for Universidad de Chile, where he would turn out as a centre-back for the Santiago outfit, then enroll at another “university”, the Pontifical Catholic University, where he would go on to earn a degree in civil engineering in 1979.
After a 13-year career where he had nothing but a Copa Chile as a souvenir, Pellegrini decided to hang up his boots with his one and only club Universidad de Chile. He went on a two year hiatus, before deciding to come back to the game as a coach.
Across South America
With a suit now on instead of a shirt, Pellegrini returned as head coach for his single professional club. He only lasted half a season though, before going on a crusade across his country and continent. Soon afterwards, he found himself on Palestino’s and O’Higgins’s books, as he spent a year at each before landing at the Universidad Catolica in 1994, where he helped the team to a Copa Chile. Deciding that he had enough of his home country, Pellegrini opted to leave in order to pursue his career elsewhere.
Landing in Ecuador, he managed Liga de Quito, who he guided to league glory and a quarter-final Copa Libertadores finish. After his one-year stint at LDU Quito, the Chilean moved to Argentina this time, where he managed to win back to back titles with both San Lorenzo and the country’s famous River Plate, no mean feat indeed. After seeing his stock rise on the South American market, European clubs decided to take a look at this budding coaching talent, and he was soon in line to experience his first “big club” with Villarreal in Spain.
Settling in Spain
Before Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival, Villarreal had finished the previous campaign in 8th. During his first year at the club, he managed to guide the Amarillos to a 3rd place finish, taking them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, a position that would be consolidated the following campaign as he went all the way to a semi-final in the Champions League. Pellegrini had arrived in La Liga with a bang, but the best was yet to come.
Two years later, the Chilean hit his apex with Villarreal as he guided them all the way to a 2nd place finish in La Liga. His last season at the yellow submarine was crowned by their cruel exit at the hands of English side Arsenal. With Real Madrid’s Juande Ramos’s contract just expiring, Florentino Perez chose Pellegrini as the man to guide the second wave of Galacticos. It was an offer he could not refuse.
Can he do it?
Guiding a team with as tight a budget as Villarreal is one thing. Managing a dressing room full of superstar egos is another completely. However, if there’s one thing that Pellegrini does not tolerate in his players, it is rebellion and anybody with a flair for trouble. Real Madrid’s new trainer did not think twice when Juan Roman Riquelme got on his bad side after a series of incidents at Villarreal and this led to the Biancoceleste superstar's exit from the club after a period watching from the stands. As much as Riquelme’s name rhymed with that of Villarreal at that time, Pellegrini opted for nothing less than Capello-like discipline.
How does he work?
The Chilean has a habit of making local heroes at the teams he has managed. Nestor Dorosito, Andres D’Alessandro and Santiago Cazorla are names that have shone under the Chilean. Therefore, expect Esteban Granero, for example, to be his latest “product”.
As for style of play, the engineer is a major supporter of the original 4-4-2, or its modified version with the wingers turned into attacking midfielders. At the Casa Blanca, his defensive and attacking choices are practically sealed. It is the midfield where the stakes are highest. However, if his pre-season tactics are to be believed, then Xabi Alonso, Lassana Diarra, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka will be the ones making up the quartet.
Manuel Pellegrini faces his toughest challenge yet as he takes control of the world’s biggest club, and the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward: Should he triumph, it goes without saying that bounty will be worth it and his place in history will be assured. However, should he fail, his head will be the first to be placed on a pike by King Perez.
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