Pellegrini did not hesitate to complain this morning about the fouls received by Fekir and described as “shame” the marking that they usually do to him and that they did to him in the Cup last Thursday. The Chilean coach wanted to claim more respect for his player.
“The Athletic Bilbao thing was a shame, he received 10 or 12 kicks. He does not have the protection of the referees. Every time he receives the ball he goes to the ground. He is the one who receives the most fouls of all LaLiga. They gave him kicks that were from expulsion. He does not surrender and continues to fight, “said Pellegrini. Asked about this by Marcelino, the Athletic coach was stung and, without knowing exactly what the criticism was referring to, he attacked Betis. “I have not heard them. We won justly, the result is there and there is VAR. If I say so, some of you call me a crybaby. On Thursday we will be the ones who play against Levante. Betis wants to go to the round with a scoring chance, it is little baggage to do it playing at home “, assured the Asturian coach.
“We were lucky on penalties. But if someone, even by a small difference, deserved to win that game, it was us because of the number of clear chances generated. Betis, in their field, created a dangerous situation for us,” he recalled.
Apart from that, the former Sevilla FC, among others, wanted to focus on tomorrow’s game, where he will see them with his previous team: Valencia. “For me it is a different game, being the first time because they were two extraordinary seasons and I have great memories and great affection. But Valencia is history, a very beautiful story and surely indelible, but now I am Athletic’s coach and tomorrow my The team will do everything possible to win the game, “he said in the telematic press conference he offered in Lezama.
The Asturian coach assured that he neither holds “a grudge” nor wishes “any harm to anyone” in the Valencian team. “The rancor does not exist in me as a person. I do not wish any harm to anyone, everything has been beautiful, I think the decision they made was what it was, the results in both scenarios are also there. If I can boast of anything, it is not having a grudge, I do not wish harm on anyone, “he said.
Already on the match, and assuring that he does not have “why to know this Valencia more than with another coach”, he considers, after “analyzing it”, that Javi Gracia’s team has “very good footballers from an individual point of view” , among which he highlighted “Gonçalo (Guedes)”, who believes that “he is at a great football level”.
Although he also noticed that the Navarrese coach has “losses in defense and attack.” Anyway, Marcelino believes that Athletic must have tomorrow, among other things, “be careful with the transitions, the strategy and the lateral centers” of Valencia. “And we have to be intense and vertical. We will have to play a very good game in all aspects of the game to get the victory,” he said.
