Manuel ‘the engineer’ Pellegrini ended his reign as Manchester City manager with a draw against Swansea City that ensured Champions League qualification for his side and made life slightly easier for incoming manager Pep Guardiola.
The amicable Chilean will have fond memories of his time spent in Manchester, and can count the Premier League title he won in 2013-14 and the League Cup in the same year. He also masterminded City’s run to the last 4 of this season’s Champions League for the first time in the club’s history, where his team was knocked out by Real Madrid.
At the age of 62, many thought this would be his last major job but Pellegrini has clearly stated his desire for one more challenge before he hangs up his boots for good. There should be no shortage of suitors as the vastly experienced Chilean has vowed fans with his attacking philosophy wherever he has managed, also picking up some important trophies along the way. Which begs the million dollar question – what could be Pellegrini’s next port of call?
Here, we profile 5 most likely destinations.
1) Valencia
Manuel Pellegrini was thought to be the front-runner for the Chelsea job... till it was announced that Italian Antonio Conte would be taking over at Stamford Bridge next season. With that decided, there is every chance that Pellegrini will go back to a country where he already has a pretty solid reputation – Spain.
After enjoying successful stints at Villarreal and Malaga, with an ill-fated year at Real Madrid in between, Pellegrini knows the La Liga inside out. So, if an opportunity to coach Valencia FC arises, it could be a very appealing prospect.
Los Che have had a season to forget. The third most supported team in Spain finished 12th in La Liga with no European football to look forward to next season. After sacking coach ‘Nuno’, Valencia higher-ups shocked the footballing world by appointing TV Pundit and ex Manchester United great Gary Neville as their head coach.
The decision to hire such an inexperienced manager backfired massively for Valencia as they came perilously close to the relegation zone – an almost unthinkable thing for such a big club. After Neville was sacked on 30 March winning only 9 of his 26 games in charge, assistant coach Pako Ayesteran was given the hot seat.
Although Pako stopped the rut and ensured a mid table finish, the demanding Valencia fans would want more next season. And with a young and talented squad at his disposal, Manuel Pellegrini could just be the man for the job.
2) AC Milan
The fallen giants. Once seated amongst the highest echelons of Italian and European football, AC Milan are now merely considered also-rans. Their descent has been so staggering that the 5 time European Champions’ last major trophy came way back in 2010-11 when they won the Serie A under current Juventus coach Massimilano Allegri.
This season, they have already sacked Sinisa Mihajlovic and the only hope of European football next season for current manager Cristian Brocchi depends on whether they achieve a favourable outcome in the Coppa Italia final on May 21, where they will take on Juventus.
A defeat in the cup final could mean the sack for Brocchi who will then join the likes of Mihaljovic, Clarence Seedorf and Pippo Inzaghi all of whom have been fired by the Milan management in the past two campaigns alone.
Manuel Pellegrini might just be the man to put a stop to the revolving door that is the San Siro. His calm demeanour and positive approach is what Milan need to get back to the elite of Italian football.
If the opportunity to manage Milan does arise, Pellegrini will be tempted to take it up as, even with their current struggles, Milan are still one of the biggest names in world football. Moreover, if a reported deal by a Chinese consortium to buy a hefty stake in Milan does materialise, it could very well open up funds for Pellegrini to build a squad capable of competing against the best.
3) Zenit St. Petersburg
The Russian Premier League may not be everybody’s cup of tea but it has seen some big names in the recent past. World class players like Brazil’s Hulk and Belgium’s Axel Witsel are two who have been plying their trade in Russia for some time.
But it is their current manager Andre Villas-Boas at Zenit Saint Petersburg who grabbed the headlines when he stated late last year that he would not be extending his contract at the defending champions.
It is reported that a fallout with the Russian Football Union, that handed him a 6 game suspension in September for headbutting an official during a game, is the main reason behind this.
Villas-Boas has had a reasonably successful spell at Zenit winning the Premier League, the Super Cup and the Russian Cup but the inability to succeed in Europe has seen many lable his time as a failure.
He will also not be able to defend the league title he won last year as his team currently sit 6 points off CSKA Moscow with a round to go in the 2015-16 season. Even though the club has been a merry-go-round of managers of late, it is still one of the biggest clubs in Russia bankrolled by the state-run gas agency Gazprom. And Pellegrini could be the man to take the club to the next level that it craves to reach so desperately.
4) Everton
If Pellegrini does decide to stay in England, then his next opportunity could be at Everton FC. The blue half of Merseyside have had a horrible season, finishing 11th inspite of impressive individual performances by players such as Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku.
Perhaps his inability to extract the same level of football from other players was what ultimately cost Roberto Martinez his job. But what he has left behind is a youthful squad that, with the right guidance, can become a force to reckon with.
Although not as high profile as the Manchester City or the Chelsea job, Everton are still one of the biggest names in English football with a passionate fan following. A recent change in ownership could also mean more funds. But will this be enough to tempt Pellegrini? Only he can tell.
5) Malaga
Manuel Pellegrini has worked for and is fondly remembered at Malaga FC. During his three seasons in charge at the Spanish club from 2010 to 2013, he guided them to 11th, 4th and 6th place finishes respectively, including the club’s only ever appearance in the Champions League in 2012-13 where they managed to reach the quarter-finals.
In fact, his three-year spell was one of the most successful in the club’s history and since his departure, the club has not managed to finish above 8th in La Liga.
If Malaga do want to break into top 6 next season, the club’s Qatari owners might consider a reunion with arguably the club’s most successful coach as a possible solution to bringing back European football to the club. And with Pellegrini enjoying a good relationship with the hierarchy and possessing inside out knowledge of the club, it could be a match made in heaven.
The only stumbling block, though, could be that the Chilean might consider taking the hot seat at Malaga a backward step. And when compared with some of the other names on this list, he wouldn’t be too wrong.
