Simeone's Atleti, a formidable rival according to Pellegrini
Manuel Pellegrini, Betis coach, praised Atlético de Madrid ahead of their match at the Metropolitano, highlighting the Simeone era as a period of success and constant fight for important titles.
He acknowledged Atleti’s potential, despite a possible dip in the second half of the season, highlighting their participation in the Club World Cup and the quality of their squad. ‘Talking about Atlético de Madrid is talking about big words,’ Pellegrini stated.
The Betis coach also valued his team’s great second half of the season, with 34 points accumulated and six still at stake. He highlighted the team’s belief in their game, the improvement in individual performances, and the increase in offensive capacity, with more goals scored and few conceded.
Pellegrini pointed out that to reach the Champions League, sporting and economic realities are needed that allow them to compete with clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético themselves, although his ambition is to reduce that distance on the field.
Finally, Pellegrini assured that his team will not experiment against Atlético and will go out to seek victory from the start. He considers the season as a great campaign, similar to previous ones in his time at Betis, with the possibility of being even better if they win the Conference League. The Chilean coach is left with the consistency shown during these five years, seeking objectives from the beginning and overcoming any economic problem, keeping the team always competitive.
