Pellegrini to leave Málaga at end of season
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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After two and a half years in charge of Málaga CF, Manuel Pellegrini, who led the Spanish side to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals this season, has announced he will leave the club.
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Málaga CF have announced that coach Manuel Pellegrini will leave the Liga club at the end of the campaign after almost three seasons in charge.
The 59-year-old succeeded Jesualdo Ferreira at La Rosaleda in November 2010 and led the Costa del Sol side to a club-best fourth-place Liga finish in his second term at the helm.
A first appearance in the UEFA Champions League followed for Los Boquerones this season and they narrowly missed out on the semi-finals following an agonising 3-2 aggregate defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the last eight.
"Everyone has the right and the obligation to continue along their path and Málaga have to take another road," Pellegrini, who cited "sporting reasons" for his departure, said. "Málaga have had a past without Manuel Pellegrini and they will also have a future without him."
The former CF Universidad de Chile defender led Villareal CF to the last four in their debut season in Europe's top club competition, 2005/06, before joining Real Madrid CF, who finished runners-up to FC Barcelona in his sole season in command.
Málaga, sixth in the Spanish top flight, host RC Deportivo La Coruña and visit Barcelona in their final two games of 2012/13.
