MADRID, 22 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of Real Betis, Manuel Pellegrini, recognized shortcomings to fight in Europe, something that he already warned about in August, after being eliminated against GNK Dinamo in the Conference League, without a “squad in line” at the continental level.
“We tried from the first minute, we took the lead, we had two clear chances at the beginning of the second half. Then we got confused, they tied the game and they qualified fairly,” he said in statements to Movistar Plus, reported by Europa Press.
The Betic team, which had fallen from the Europa League, said goodbye to the third UEFA competition, in a match that became complicated since Bakambu's injury. “It was a big loss and in the second half we had a hard time generating,” he said.
“I already said it in the month of August, if you believe that you can play in Europe with a center back, it is very difficult. The same thing now with six or seven injured, without center backs, are advantages that cannot be given in Europe. One tries to minimize them but in the end reality comes. For different reasons, due to injuries, due to registrations, due to sales, due to whatever, we did not have a suitable squad to fight, within what we fought,” he explained.
On the other hand, Pellegrini trusted that Betis can continue improving to return to Europe and go further next season. “You always expect more, you have to be ambitious. Reality always shows certain things. We lacked it to be able to continue. It has been the ambition that we have established, for a reason we have been able to play three years in a row in Europe,” he said.
“The three years tell us that to make a second leap in Europe, perhaps we need a more stable squad, with more players, less sales. We must go in line with an economic reality that we also have. The team is going to continue fighting to try get through the League. We have to look for a fourth time in Europe and continue improving in every way,” he concluded.