LaLiga: Manuel Pellegrini named new Real Betis manager on three-year deal

Real Betis have appointed former Real Madrid and Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini as their manager from next season on a three-year contract, the La Liga side said on Thursday. Pellegrini, who won the Premier League with City in 2013-14 as well as two League Cups, returns to Spain where he had successful spells with Villarreal and Malaga. The Chilean, 66, led Villarreal to the 2006 Champions League semi-finals and led Malaga into Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in 2012, leading them to the quarter-finals a year later. “Real Betis has signed Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini to take up the reins of the first team next season. The contract between Pellegrini and the club is until June 2023,” the club said in a statement here Pellegrini replaces coach Rubi who was sacked last month after Betis failed to win any of the first three matches in their return to action. Sporting director Alexis Trujillo was placed in interim charge until the end of the season. Pellegrini’s last job was with Premier League side West Ham United, who sacked him in December after a string of poor results. One of Spain’s best-supported clubs with more than 50,000 season ticket holders, Betis are currently 13th in the league with 41 points, 12 points above the relegation zone.