Manuel Pellegrini sets a deadline for his possible arrival at La Roja: “I am 70 years old and I have a contract until 2026; At 73, why not?

Manuel Pellegrini does not generally set a date for his possible return to Chile. He has repeatedly said that his dream is to end his career by leading La Roja at a World Cup, but he never does it by setting dates. Until this weekend. The Engineer, contrary to what he always does, took the risk and announced that the deadlines They could arise when his relationship with Real Betis ends.

“I’m 70 years old and I have a contract with Betis until 2026. At 73, why shouldn’t I coach Chile? I go to the gym every day, I play tennis two or three times a week, and also golf. I feel good. I would love to coach the Chilean team my country, I feel very Chilean in addition to my roots in Italy and Spain,” he said in a dialogue with El País de España. Like never before, the coach took the risk to say that he is ready to lead the process towards the 2030 World Cup.

Of course, he set his parameters along the same lines. Some that he has maintained each time he is consulted on the opportunity to take charge of the Team of All: he does not want to arrive with an ANFP mired in disorder, everything must be in order, with an established project. “I’m not going to be a scapegoat. I want to lead a process once I finish at Betis. I have been coaching for 25 consecutive years and only one dismissal at West Ham. “I would love to retire managing a World Cup with Chile,” he explained.

The coach also touched on other topics, such as the changes that have occurred in world football since its inception. “I was a professional player from 1973 to 1986 at the University of Chile, then I took coaching courses in Italy and England. The player’s physical evolution is impressive. Demand has increased significantly. This sport is constantly changing. For example, what Pep Guardiola’s great Barcelona showed has already changed. He left the legacy of possession, but now more things are needed. The only thing that hasn’t changed is that the good guys put it in and the bad guys throw it out,” he explained.

Pellegrini has built a successful career in European football. After producing in Chile, he moved to Ecuador and then to Argentina. He is now about to complete two decades on the Old Continent. “I have been here for 20 years. Five years in England and two in China. It’s been five years at Villarreal, one at Madrid, three at Malaga and, So far, three at Betis. When I arrived at Villarreal, I introduced a new system to Spain. They played with extremes by going back and forth with centers, and we proposed what we call moving bands with Cazorla, Pires or Riquelme,” he remembers.

He also took the opportunity to highlight what was done at Real Madrid, where he received a lot of criticism despite the enormous number of units achieved in La Liga. “I was lucky to always give good performances. Also in Madrid, where we scored 96 points, the best score in its history until that time,” he explained.

Finally, the Engineer expressed his opposition to the idea of ​​the Super League, reactivated in recent weeks. “I think it’s very bad for football. I have lived in England for five years and this will never be accepted there. Local football is very important and in England people feel much more identified with the Prime Minister than with the Champions League. In Spain and other countries, this would mean the death of local football,” he argued.