Pellegrini primed to pitch up at United
Monday, September 15, 2008
Article summary
Manuel Pellegrini told uefa.com Sir Alex Ferguson is "an example to all other managers" but the Villarreal CF coach will not be too deferential as his side head to Old Trafford to meet Manchester United FC in Group E.
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Strong respect
United won the famous trophy for the second time with Sir Alex at the helm following a final victory over Chelsea FC last May, a feat Pellegrini would love to achieve in his fifth year in charge of Villarreal. "I am a big admirer of the work that Mr Ferguson has done in Manchester," he said. "I've had the fortune to meet him in our previous Champions League campaign, and he is a wonderful person."
Famous campaign
Sir Alex may have less fond memories of meeting Pellegrini, given that his side drew 0-0 against Villarreal twice in the 2005/06 group stage. The Spanish side won the section on that occasion, with United finishing bottom. It was a season to remember for the 50,000 citizens of Villarreal, which lies between Valencia and Barcelona, as they went on to reach the semi-finals, losing 1-0 on aggregate to Arsenal FC.
'They finished last'
Given Villarreal's growing reputation, such a result would be less of a surprise this time around, but despite the presence of United, Celtic FC and Aalborg BK in their group, the 54-year-old coach is optimistic. "We're in a difficult group, but I remember last time everybody was asking: 'Who will qualify behind United?' In the end they finished last, even missing out on a place in the UEFA Cup, and we finished top."
Modest background
The club has come a long way since gaining promotion to Spain's top flight for the first time ten years ago. Midfielder Marcos Senna recently summed up the situation by admitting he had never heard of Villarreal prior to signing for them in 2002 yet now he cannot imagine himself playing for anyone else. Pellegrini puts the success down to a strong bond between the management and those who pilot the Yellow Submarine.
Thinking big
"Villarreal is a club that has a warm relationship with its board of directors," he explained. "It is a small club from a small town, but everything is done here to make it function as a big institution. There's really nothing lacking here to prevent you working very well and achieving good results. It is my fifth year at Villarreal and I have one more to go on my contract, so let's hope I can have another year to celebrate here."
