This Saturday will be lived in the Benito Villamarin a new meeting between two friends who were student and teacher but who in recent times challenge each other as equals from the benches. It is about Manuel Pellegrini and Eduardo Coudetwho met at River Plate in the 2002-03 season when the Chilean was the coach and the Argentine was the center back. Then they forged a relationship, also with Rubén Cousillas, which was maintained over time based on the trust of friendship and which was key for Coudet to be able to take his first steps as a coach after hanging up his boots after an extensive career.
It will not be the first time that Pellegrini and Coudet measure their boards since they already faced each other three times when the Argentine led Celta. The curious thing is that the student always beat the teacher since the balance is two wins (0-2 at Villamarín with a double from Iago Aspas in January and 1-0 at Balaídos, in October with a goal from Gabri Veiga) and a draw (0-0 in Vigo in March) in the clashes between Pellegrini’s Betis and Coudet’s celestials, all in 2022. Now the Chilean has the possibility of revenge in Heliópolis in the first match of the second round garter
«My situation is strange because both Manuel (Pellegrini) and the ‘skinny’ Cousillas (Betis assistant coach) are friends, guys who have helped me a lot throughout my career as a player, now as a coach,” Coudet once stated about his friendship with those who lead Betis today. «At the time of saying ‘I’m going to start coaching’, the guy with whom I sat down to talk, to listen, at the time when I made the decision to be a coach. I only have praise for him. I have followed a lot in all their footsteps, I have shared a lot in their footsteps, be it in Malaga, City, Real… It has been very good for them and it makes me very happy. It’s a strange situation to have to face them but football has those things. He is, so to speak, a football father for me. He is a person who has helped me more than you can imagine.«Coudet assured at the time.
Pellegrini also valued that “he is clear about the system with which he wants to play and instills a winning and offensive style in his teams,” when talking about Coudet. Now they meet again, at the Villamarín and in a key match for Betis’ aspirations to get out of their delicate situation as they find themselves tenth in LaLiga and already eliminated from the Copa del Rey.
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