Betis confirm Manuel Pellegrini as new head coach

2:54pm on Thursday 9th July 2020
By Martin Macdonald

Manuel Pellegrini has been named as the new head coach of La Liga side, Real Betis.

The 66-year-old, who previously managed Villarreal, Real Madrid, and Malaga in Spain before going on to take over at Manchester City and then West Ham, will succeed Rubi who was dismissed in the middle of June.

Betis had aspirations of perhaps breaking into Europe this season due to the appointment of Rubi as well as the acquisition of players like Nabil Fekir, who at the time was a coveted star around Europe when at Lyon.

However, they have won just 10 games all season and are 13th in the Spanish top flight, with them also having the third-worst defensive record of 55 goals conceded in 35 games.

Rubi eventually left the club after the 1-0 defeat by Athletic Bilbao.

Pellegrini takes over Betis with a respected reputation in Spain, having took Villarreal to the semi-final of the Champions League and Malaga to the Champions League for the first time in their history, while some felt he was unlucky to be dismissed by Real Madrid in 2010 after finishing second with a then record points tally of 96. =

That season, Barca won La Liga with 99 points.

Following a successful domestic period with Man City in which he guided them to the Premier League title as well as two League Cups, he moved to China before eventually returning to England with West Ham.

It wasn’t a successful tenure with the Hammers, though, as despite spending record fees on players such as Felipe Anderson and Sebastian Haller, he left the club with them 17th in the Premier League table in December of the 2019/20 season.

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