The technician of Real Betis, Manuel Pellegrinistated that the classification for the next edition of the Champions League after 20 years represents the achievement of a goal set by the club since the first day of the season.
The place was guaranteed on Tuesday (12), after the team secured its presence in the top 5 of .
Betis beat Elche 2-1 at home, with a decisive goal from Pablo Fornals in the 68th minute, and confirmed their return to the main league for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
In recent years, the club became a constant presence in continental tournamentsguaranteeing classification for European competitions in every season since 2021.
In the last edition, the team even reached the final against .
“It’s not easy to compete in European competitions for six consecutive years, much less secure a place in the competition with two rounds left in the season,” declared Pellegrini, 72 years old.
The coach highlighted the squad’s ability to react throughout the campaign.
“The team’s greatest merit was always getting up after defeats. I think all these falls were compensated with the great celebration we had in our stadium, alongside the fans, to whom we owed this joy”, said the Chilean.
Pellegrini also revealed that the objective of qualifying was established during the team’s debut in the season, precisely against Elche.
“We started the season against Elche and, at the end of the conversation before the match, we wrote in green letters: ‘Today we begin our journey towards the Champions League‘”, he said.
Betis’ next match will be on Sunday (17), against Spanish champions Barcelona.
