Pellegrini wanted by Chile as Betis, 3rd on 19 points, host unbeaten Barça

By the Data Desk · Published 17 OCT 08:30 · Updated 18 OCT 06:45

Manuel Pellegrini has Betis third in LaLiga with 19 points, and in Chile the calls for him to take the national team are getting louder. On Friday, the day before unbeaten Barcelona visit La Cartuja, he asked for interim coach Nicolás Córdova to be left to work, while former Ecuador coach Sebastián Beccacece told Radio Agricultura: "Ojalá que Manuel Pellegrini pueda venir."

• Pellegrini at his pre-Barcelona press conference (Emol): it is important that Córdova "siga haciendo su trabajo como está haciendo hasta ahora" (keeps doing his job as he has until now).
• Beccacece hopes their paths meet "una vez que finalice su contrato allá por junio". Pellegrini's Betis contract runs to June 2027, and the club says no renewal is on the table.
• Betis (six wins, one draw, one defeat) are level on points with second-placed Atlético and five behind Barcelona, who have won all eight; kick-off is 18:30 CEST today.

Pellegrini was asked about La Roja on Friday and, as usual, answered without answering. He said he watches everyone's games during the break, Chile's but also the Premier League and LaLiga, and that he spends his days on the training pitch. "No tengo la información en este momento para dar un detalle puntual de cómo los veo" (I don't have the information right now to give a specific detail of how I see them), he told reporters, as quoted by Emol. Then came the line that matters: "Es importante que Nicolás (Córdova), que está ahí, siga haciendo su trabajo como está haciendo hasta ahora."

The loudest call came from outside Chile's federation. Beccacece, who left Ecuador after their World Cup round-of-32 defeat by Mexico and once coached Universidad de Chile, spoke to Radio Agricultura on 16 October: "Me parece que es extraordinario lo que está haciendo a nivel local en Betis" (what he is doing at Betis is extraordinary). He added that he hopes their paths can come together once the contract ends "allá por junio", without saying which June. Emol puts the end of the deal in mid-2027, and no offer from Chile has been made public: this is a wish, not a negotiation.

Betis have not made it easier to read. Sporting director Manu Fajardo told Onda Cero, in comments reported by T13 on 8 October: "A día de hoy no está encima de la mesa llevar a cabo ninguna renovación" (as of today, no renewal is on the table). T13 also describes Córdova as Chile's interim coach, the job everyone in Santiago wants Pellegrini to take one day.

On the pitch, the timing could hardly be bigger. Betis have scored 14 and conceded 9 in eight league games and beat Porto 3-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday; Barcelona arrive with 24 points from 24, 34 goals for and 7 against. The last team to beat Betis at home in LaLiga was Barcelona, 3-5 in December 2025. What happens next: Real Betis v Barcelona, today at 18:30 CEST at La Cartuja, according to LaLiga.