Pellegrini Signs New Deal

December 11, 2007

Primera Liga just announced that Villarreal head coach Manuel Pellegrini has agreed to sign a contract extension to keep him at the club until the summer of 2010. The 54-year-old Chilean started working for Villarreal from River Plate in 2004. He maneuvered the club to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup and a third rank in the Primera Liga to take home their first Champions League place in 2005.

They went on to make the Champions League semi-finals, where they fell 1-0 to Arsenal in 2006, and finished in seventh place in the league. They ranked fifth last season and earned them a chance in the UEFA Cup where they have just qualified for the last 32 knockout phase. They are ranked fourth in the Primera Liga, leaders seven points ahead of them. Villarreal is at this time enjoying a very good campaign as they sit on their throne in La Liga and are already into the next round of the UAFA Cup.

Pellegrini had previously told Marca that he has been receiving offers from a number of other clubs across Europe, including better and higher paid positions than what he has now. It is not to anyone’s surprise, because he has been doing pretty well with Villareal and throughout his time, Villareal has been his top priority.

According to him, money is really not the main thing. Despite the better positions and way better offers cramming all around him, he chose to stay with his club. He said that in general context, he has always felt much better sticking to where he belongs.

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