Pellegrini turns 73 with no thought for his Betis future, only Getafe on his mind

Turning 73 and still being LaLiga's oldest coach is no small feat. Manuel Pellegrini hits that number this Wednesday without slowing down, his mind set on Thursday's match against Getafe and with no intention of turning his birthday into an early tribute. The Chilean has been in charge of Betis for seven seasons now, and rather than looking back, he'd rather talk about the present.

At the press conference ahead of matchday six of LaLiga EA Sports, someone asked him, almost inevitably, about his age. Pellegrini answered with the calm that defines him:

There's a chronological age and a biological one, both in physical and mental work. I try to live in the present. I'm happy with these seven years at Betis, happy that I left Chile 27 years ago and never went back.Manuel Pellegrini

The question about his future, with a possible new contract in play, didn't throw him off script either. For the coach, that's a matter that will sort itself out over time, not something keeping him up at night.

It's not a priority right now. The future takes shape according to circumstances. I'm thinking about the next game, with high personal demands. There's a reason I'm the only one who's 73.Manuel Pellegrini

A Getafe with its own identity

When it came to Thursday's opponent, Pellegrini didn't hold back the praise. Getafe arrives with a very well-defined style of play, something the coach himself credits as the foundation of their qualification for the Conference League group stage. "It's a tough opponent. They have a very well-defined style of play that got them into Europe, and that's an achievement," he said.

And Betis? The green-and-whites are creating chances, that much is clear, but they're still missing that final touch in front of goal. Pellegrini was honest about it, acknowledging the number of scoring opportunities his team has generated while admitting they need to convert more of them. He was also quick to give credit to the other side of the ball, pointing out that opposing defenses and goalkeepers are doing their job too.

On an individual level, the Chilean singled out several of his players for praise: goalkeeper Álvaro Valles, Colombian midfielder Nelson Deossa and Irish forward Troy Parrott were among those mentioned. Giovani Lo Celso wasn't, at least not yet. Pellegrini asked for patience with the Argentine, who is coming off a serious injury and a vacation period, and is therefore behind in his fitness work.

With Betis sitting in third place in the standings on 12 points (three behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, though Barcelona has played one fewer game), Pellegrini isn't getting carried away by the early-season results. Not in either direction. "Winning the first two games or losing them can't give or take away credibility to prove yourself," he said.

There are 38 matchdays still to come, and the coach knows that's where everything gets decided, not at the start of the season. "There are 38 tough games ahead. A lot of teams will fall off or step up. As the early results pile up, the team will keep showing how far it can go, but that's not something you settle now," he concluded.