Pellegrini warns of Champions League risk: "It takes a toll on you in La Liga"

Six straight years of getting Betis into Europe, and now the club is stepping up to a level it hasn't reached in a long time: the Champions League. Manuel Pellegrini's side makes its debut this Tuesday against France's Lille, and the Chilean coach himself was quick to temper the excitement before a ball is even kicked.

At the pre-match press conference, the "Engineer" didn't hide what this moment means for the club. He called it "a giant step" and made clear that the demands are about to rise several notches. That's no surprise coming from a man who knows what it takes to lift this trophy: Pellegrini won the Champions League with Real Madrid in the 2013-14 season.

It's a giant step to get here and that multiplies the demands. We'll see how far we can go. It's something very important, to give Betis fans some joy; for six years in a row we've managed to qualify for Europe, and the Champions League brings both pressure and excitement knowing the opponents are tough, so we'll see how far it lets us go.Manuel Pellegrini

La Liga, the priority as always

This was the point the coach kept coming back to: the Champions League is exciting, but it can also take a toll if the squad isn't built to handle it. Pellegrini was blunt about it, pointing to examples any fan would recognize: putting together a spectacular European campaign only to miss out on a continental spot the following year because the domestic league was neglected is a scenario Spanish soccer has seen more than once.

That's why he stressed the idea of a balanced squad, with no split between "the league team" and "the Europe team." For the Betis coach, the priority remains clear.

It's very appealing and very dangerous, it takes a toll on you in La Liga. You have a great Champions League run, you fall in the semifinals, and then in the league you're not in the European spots. That's why it's important to have a balanced squad, and La Liga will always carry the greater importance, while in the Copa and the Champions League you try to go as far as possible.Manuel Pellegrini

The coach's wish is simple enough to understand: he wants next season's ticket to Europe to come through La Liga, not as a consolation prize for a good continental run that ends up neglecting the domestic competition.

Mutual praise with the Ancelottis

The other topic that came up at the press conference was the upcoming opponent. Lille is coached by Davide Ancelotti, son of Carlo Ancelotti, and the two coaches exchanged compliments ahead of the match. Pellegrini didn't hold back in acknowledging the young Italian coach's work, though with the obvious caveat that he's hoping to beat him on the field.

"I think he worked a lot with his father, who for me is the best coach in history. He surely has a footballing philosophy similar to his father's and is a great coach. I'm very happy for him, but hopefully things don't go his way tomorrow. We'll try to pick up as many points as possible to advance to the next phase," the Chilean concluded.

Balancing European ambition with a level head, Betis heads into the Champions League league phase looking to compete without losing sight of what really sustains the season: the daily grind of La Liga.