LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Corner flag with with Queens Park Rangers official club crest printed on prior to the Pre-Season Friendly Match between Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace at Loftus Road on July 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Manuel Pellegrini, the legendary Chilean coach and Real Betis manager, is ready to return to Rangers 17 years after his previous visit with Villarreal.
With Manuel Pellegrini in his fourth season as La Liga manager, the South American manager is still battling at the highest level at the age of 70.
Ibrox supporters will recall the manager’s last visit to Glasgow before the highly anticipated visit of Real Betis in the Europa League tomorrow evening.
In 2006, Manuel Pellegrini coached Villarreal against Alex McLeish of Rangers in the Champions League first knockout phase.
Villarreal, led by Marcos Senna, Juan Roman Riquelme, and Diego Forlan, forced a 2-2 draw at Ibrox before finally defeating the Gers in Spain.
A contentious 1-1 draw in El Madrigal won Villarreal a place in the Champions League quarter-finals on a night that will go down in both teams’ annals.
After 17 years away, Manuel Pellegrini returns to Rangers.
As Manuel Pellegrini prepares to return to Rangers with Real Betis, the Ibrox club will be hoping for the same enthusiasm but a better outcome in Glasgow.
Rangers emerged as the pot one side, while Real Betis emerged as the second grouping of clubs, and all else being equal, these two sides should advance at the cost of Sparta Prague and AEL Limassol.
However, this will be a true test for both the young Michael Beale and the far more experienced Manuel Pellegrini, who is not without concerns going into the game.
It’s been about two decades since the Chilean last visited Rangers, and a lot has changed in that time.
It’s been a long trip back to Scotland after managing Real Madrid, Malaga, Manchester City (where he won the Premier League), Hebei China Fortune, and West Ham in that time.
