The eight teams in the quarter-finals of the King’s Cup are: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña, Sevilla, Osasuna, Celta, Mallorca, and Getafe.
At this mont, Pellegrini also started to gear up. He is not known as a "championship expert." Before entering La Liga, he led Catholic University to win the 1994 Copa Interaricana and the 1995 Chile Cup, and Quito University to win the 1999 Ecuadorian league championship.
He also led San Lorenzo to win the 2001 Argentine Prira División and the 2001 Copa Libertadores, followed by the Riverbed’s triumph in the 2003 Argentine Prira División championship.
Without such an impressive resu, he could not have successfully entered Europe, becoming one of the few South Arican coaches to work there.
However, after entering Europe, this coach’s luck in winning championships seed to falter.
Before coaching Real Madrid, the only team he had coached was Villarreal. Thanks to his capabilities, he made Villarreal a force to be reckoned with in La Liga; yet apart from winning the 2004 International Toto Cup, he hadn’t won any significant championship.
Still, his coaching at Villarreal was well-received; otherwise, he would not have had the opportunity to coach a club as prestigious as Real Madrid.
During his tenure at Villarreal:
2003-04 UEFA Cup semi-finalists
2004-05 La Liga third place
2005-06 Champions League semi-finalists
2007-08 La Liga runners-up
2008-09 Champions League quarter-finalists
Many people believed that if he could manage a strong team, he might achieve better results and a career breakthrough. While coaching Real Madrid, Pellegrini also set himself a small goal, which was to win a championship!
And among the King’s Cup, league championship, and Champions League, he chose the relatively "safe" option, the league championship!
The reasons were complex, including the team-building in a top club leaving him "confused," being a significant factor. They didn’t care about his ideas at all.
Pellegrini wanted players like Cazorla but didn’t get them.
Pellegrini wanted to keep Robben, but he was sold!
Originally, he intended to build around Cristiano Ronaldo, increasing the transition speed between attack and defense, and emphasizing quick advances into the opponent’s penalty area during offenses, relying on the players’ personal abilities and teamwork, highlighting one-touch passing.
On this basis, winning matches one by one, and securing the La Liga championship!
But he failed again!
He was forced to make Chen Zhong the team’s core and rebuild a new tactic for Real Madrid.
Initially, Pellegrini refused, but later he gradually realized that although the team’s lower limit decreased, its upper limit beca unpredictable.
After Barcelona was eliminated from the King’s Cup, Pellegrini’s eyes sparked with boundless light!
King’s Cup!
Champion!
We can do it!
In a sense, Pellegrini could be considered a simple-minded person. His actions are straightforward, and his goal is a singular focus on winning a championship after nurous seasons in La Liga!
Unfortunately, Real Madrid is a team with ambitious goals. You cannot wield a Dragon Slayer Sword and only think about slaughtering a chicken. Real Madrid has not beco Spain’s first Triple Crown-winning team not because they lack the strength, but because historically, they have not cared much about the King’s Cup.
"Rotation?"
"Are you serious?"
Chen Zhong looked at Pellegrini in disbelief in Pellegrini’s office, while Francisco beside him watched Chen Zhong expressionlessly, his eyes full of helplessness.
"We must be well-prepared, Chen."
"The match dates are too packed."
"We need to secure a significant advantage in the first leg."
"Just like what we did in the previous round of the league."
Pellegrini looked sincerely at Chen Zhong, seemingly trying to use his sincerity to move him. Upon seeing a King’s Cup championship within reach, Pellegrini was even willing to gamble on the league.
He was too eager for a championship, but such eagerness appeared sowhat "immature."
"Sorry!"
"Firstly, I want to say that Real Madrid cannot be eliminated by Santander Athletic."
"Secondly, we are not leading Barcelona by much."
"And our next opponent is Athletic Bilbao, in their ho stadium!"
"This is football, not a simple calculation of value and fa."
"Well! What I want to say is that if I had to choose between the King’s Cup and the league championship, I would rather let go of the King’s Cup." Chen Zhong looked at Pellegrini, not knowing what to say.
Real Madrid has a tradition of giving up the King’s Cup.
The main reason is that advancing in it offers little reward, brings many issues, and inevitably drains the team’s energy.
Pellegrini’s approach was, rather than relying on the uncertain future of the league, to focus on winning the King’s Cup first since, after all, to soone who hasn’t won any championship in La Liga yet, the King’s Cup might be a delicacy?
However, in Chen Zhong’s view, the King’s Cup is far inferior to the league championship, and even more so to the Champions League!
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