Pellegrini: "It's a big step" for Betis returning to the Champions League after six years

Betis had to wait six years to hear the Champions League anthem again, and that detail carries more weight than any tactical breakdown. Manuel Pellegrini knows it, and that's why he said so plainly on Monday in Lille, a day before his side visits the French club: playing in this competition "is a big step" for the club, and above all, a source of joy for a fanbase that had gone without this stage for far too long.

The Chilean coach spoke to reporters ahead of the official training session at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, the venue where Betis will kick off their league phase campaign against Lille this Tuesday. He was clear about the immediate goal, no frills attached: "try to beat Lille tomorrow," and after that, taking it match by match, "we'll see what comes next."

He didn't paint Lille as just another opponent. The French side arrives as "a top team in the French league," one that held PSG to a draw just a week ago, no small feat. They're coached by Davide Ancelotti, who made what Pellegrini called "a significant move" this summer by stepping out of his father's shadow, that is, Carlo Ancelotti, whom the Chilean himself considers "the best coach in history." Will the son inherit that touch? Pellegrini is betting he will, though with his own nuances.

He's surely going to be a great coach, with an approach similar to his father's.Manuel Pellegrini

The experience of seven Champions League campaigns

Pellegrini isn't speaking secondhand. He recalled having "the chance to play in seven Champions Leagues" over the course of his career, and from that experience he draws a clear lesson: the competition "is very appealing but dangerous," because it can take a toll on a squad if it isn't managed well. That's why he stressed the need for a balanced team, one capable of responding on every front at once.

And here comes the nuance that matters most to the Betis coach: despite the pull of European football, for him "LaLiga will always carry the greater importance," because it's the competition that sums up an entire season's performance. Following that logic, his plan is to push as far as possible in both the Copa and the Champions League, without neglecting the weekly grind of the league. The recipe involves something that's already become a trademark of his management: rotation. Pellegrini confirmed he'll keep doing it, backed by "a squad committed to competing on every front."

On the injury and fitness front, Colombian forward Cucho Hernandez is a question mark, arriving "behind in his preparation" after his run at the World Cup. The situation is different for new signing Troy Parrott, who has already spent several weeks training under Pellegrini and could be an option to get some minutes in France.