Manuel Pellegrini has assured that this season is a "step forward" for Real Betis even though they fell at the final hurdle in Poland. The team suffered a 4-1 rout to **Chelsea**by full time, coming apart during the second half against the Blues but the manager still sees the Spaniards in a positive light.
‘We couldn’t maintain what we did in the first half’
Real Betis were ready for this fixture. They had an extra two days of rest after a dead rubber 1-1 draw with **Valencia**to end their campaign in **La Liga**and look prepared to pounce on pedestrian patterns of play from their opponents.
But the second half went badly wrong as they conceded four unanswered goals and Pellegrini pointed out where he thought the display went wrong for his side on the night.
“We played a great first half. We had a couple more clear chances to score more goals. But Chelsea in the second half they were conditioned well. We were conditioned by injuries for example, Abde who was creating a lot of danger on the left side. But we started seeing a difference in the game there because we couldn't hurt Chelsea anymore. We started getting hurt. And we couldn't reverse that.”
The manager mentioned how injuries had hampered his plans. Abde Ezzalzouli gave Malo Gusto a torrid time, scoring the first goal of the game, but he had to come off with a twisted ankle, and as Ricardo Rodriguez also departed the pitch, the script flipped suddenly on that side of the field.
“The whole squad is really feeling really bitter. They're not happy at all. We couldn't maintain what we did in the first half. I have to say that Abde and Ricardo Rodriguez being injured caused us a lot of trouble for the second half. We suffered a lot with Neto and Palmer, two players who play in that area. We caused trouble with Abde, but he suffered an ankle sprain, and we had to substitute him.”
The Chilean continued to convey how important it would be to add to the squad to try and compete on multiple fronts in the future. The expansive spending spree that has built out the squad available to Enzo Maresca meant that he could call on the services of Reece James and Jadon Sancho to spark the side into life. On the other hand, he had no way to respond to the injuries that followed the restart.
“We know the kind of squad that Chelsea has, but I think our two substitutions were due to injury. I have to insist in that. We created quite a lot of trouble through the left hand side. That is where we score the goal. But injuries unfortunately did not let us keep playing at the same level we are playing before. We reached the final with this squad and we will try to make an even better squad next year.”
Cole Palmer came to life with two assists to turn around the tie before **Jadon Sancho**and Moises Caicedo completed the scoring for the Blues. Despite this defeat, Pellegrini was proud of his players.
“Reaching a final and playing a final against an opponent that was superior to us was really good. We should still be proud about what kind of final we have played, and the rest is football.”
‘We need to restructure our squad’
Pellegrini made a point of praising the fans who have followed his camp across Europe to the final.
“The fans have been incredible. The support for the team has been undeniable the whole time during the game during the first half and even after the defeat. All I can say is thank you. This is what hurts us the most not being able to give them this title which they deserved as fans.”
Then, the 71-year-old spent most of his time talking about what it would take to go again. Apart from the injuries during this contest, **Hector Bellerin**was already out for the final with a knee injury from the semi-final and Giovanni Lo Celso only featured for five minutes after being a doubt due to muscle discomfort. He is hoping for a more robust roster to deal with these types of situations.
*“We try to build our squad in order to be competitive in all the tournaments we play in. And of course, I have to say that injuries today, you know, really cost us trouble. We had a few injured players that couldn't play today. And with a team as powerful as Chelsea, that's always going to be hurtful.”*
The manager made clear how he sees this season as a positive step for the squad. They have again earned a spot in the **Europa League**with a finish in sixth spot in the league and still written their name in history with an appearance in the final of a continental competition for the first time.
“We played a really good first half. And in the second half they were better, and they managed to get the goals to win the final. We played a season in which we were qualified for Europe, and we played a European final is a step forward not a step backwards. I'm sure the fans are going to agree with us.”
He is not getting too far ahead of himself by thinking if his men might mimic this achievement a year down the line in the Europa League. In his five years in the dugout in Seville, he has overseen three campaigns in the competition— and two went as far as the Round of 16. Rather than considering the idea of making more uncharted territory, he wants to do the groundwork to get a squad fit for purpose.
“For Betis reaching a final and being in Europe next year, it's quite a feat, quite an achievement. So, we will have to work day by day. I do not think we should start thinking about the Europa League final, but we need to restructure our squad again to be able to compete in every competition.”
In his mind, the summer shall be a time of refreshing and rejuvenation to chase new dreams next year.
“Of course, the most powerful the squad, the more chances we have to go far in Europe and continue keep being competitive in the league. We played a really good season overall. We unfortunately we couldn't win this final title, and we will start working to try to structure the team for the next season.”