Real Madrid

Humble, persistent, intelligant and a reverent demeanor when it comes to ball handling are just a few ways to describe the new head coach of Real Madrid. As many before him, Manuel Luis Pellegrini has always had a bond with football. He spent his entire playing career with the same team, Universidad de Chile. Such loyalty reaped a Copa de Chile; a trophy he later won as coach of Universidad Catolica. He earned the respect of the crowd from his position as a centre-back, where he also laid the foundation for his productive career as a coach.

Pellegrini has over 20 years of coaching experience. Since debuting with Universidad de Chile in 1988, the Chilean has been a sponge of information and knowledge. In fact, he left the club and moved abroad to take coaching courses.

Palestino, O'Higginns and Universidad Catolica were the last three teams coached by Pellegrini in his native Chile before landing at LDU Quito in Ecuador, who he guided to the national title and a quarterfinal appearance in the Copa Libertadores. In 2001, he made the transition to Argentine football by taking over at San Lorenzo and River Plate one season later, both of whom he led to Clausura titles.

Always aware of new talent coming out of the Americas, Villarreal astutely signed Pellegrini for the start of the 2004/05 season. His five seasons at the helm of the Yellow Submarine were the most successful in the 80+ seasons of club history. Fans of Villarreal, a town of no more than 50,000 inhabitants, will never forget the 2007/08 season when the team finished as league runner-up and especially the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal, where one penalty kick prevented them from moving into the final. That same season Pellegrini won the Miguel Muñoz trophy, presented to the best coach of La Liga.

Manuel Pellegrini belongs to the latest generation of coaches who believes that intellectual development isn't at odds with the work done on the bench. With a degree in Civil Engineering, Pellegrini has stated that "whoever devotes 24 hours a day to football is a bad coach. Football is a combination of personality, taste, demands, leadership... Leadership is learned by reading, seeing and living. If football is all I know, then I know nothing."

Among his many tactics, special treatment for the ball is a high priority. "We train with the ball; the dynamics of the game. When you make the opponent run and wear out, your personal physique improves. Then there is the intensity from each position: I want defensive wingers to close in on a ball 20 times at full speed, and that can only happen by holding practice matches in small areas... Always playing. Running 800 meters isn't real," he recently stated during an interview.

Mobility and fast combination are a large part of Pellegrini's tactical methods. Defensive precision and the tension with which players on the back line are expected to experience games are just as important as the creativity and imagination implemented in the final decisive meters. Pellegrini explained, "My philosophy is related to having good technical players. A player must be steadfast in one part of the pitch in order to close open spaces run relays, crosses, come out of his own side of the pitch... and you have to let him invent in the last 25 meters. I tell players, "Let's manage ten set-pieces. We won't be successful eight of the ten times, but we will win the match with the other two." Creative football is hard if you aren't able to combine with others or be comfortable touching the ball. If a coach gets upset the first time a player makes a mistake in the final meters, the player will do things practically, but not make a difference. Making mistakes while trying new things is better than plain football." 

Manuel Pellegrini won't have any reservations about drafting players from the academy. European champion with the Spanish national team, Cazorla, and midfielder Bruno are two examples of a style of football that fit in perfectly with the ideology of his new team.

Honours:
- Interamerican Cup: Universidad Catolica (1994)

- Cup of Chile: Universidad Catolica (1994)

- Ecuatorian League: Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito (1999)

- 2 Campeonatos de Clausura, Argentina: San Lorenzo de Almagro (2001) & River Plate (2003)

- Mercosur Cup: San Lorenzo de Almagro (2001)

- Intertoto Cup: Villarreal (2004)

Individual Accolades:
- Miguel Muñoz Trophy for being the best coach in La Liga, 2007/08 season.