Pellegrini: Anthony dribbles the ball and creates a threat. Betis aims to advance directly to the top 8 of the Europa League

Betis draws Nottingham Forest 2-2 in the Europa League. Betis coach Pellegrini talked about the team's preparations and related issues of the lineup.

How is the team's current state and what are their expectations for the Europa League?

We are very excited to participate in the UEFA Cup again. Last season we made great progress in the European Union until the finals. Looking back on our previous experience in the Europa League, we have regrets, one was losing to the final champion in the last minute, and the other was losing to Manchester United in a game that we thought was somewhat unreal.

I have always emphasized that the primary goal is to stand out from the group. If you can directly lock in the top eight seats, it will naturally be the best result. If not, it would be okay to play one round of playoffs, but the premise is that it must not affect the league. The whole team is full of expectations for this event and firmly believes that we can perform well.

How do you view Betis' ambitions and reality in the European arena?

I never use the team's lineup configuration or budget as an excuse. I want to emphasize that when the final result fails to come true, although we have been in the European war every year for the past five years and have always been eager to hit the Champions League and go further in every event, this should not be regarded as a "frustration", these are two concepts. But on the other hand, if you don’t try and lack ambition, that is a huge mistake.

We have such ambitions every year, and it is precisely because of this that we have been qualified for the European War for five consecutive years. This season is exactly the same. From the first minute of the game, we will come on the court with the belief of winning, believing that we can qualify from the group and go as far as possible. So, at least in my opinion, ambition has nothing to do with the team's paper strength.

Is the goal of this season the same as last season?

The most important thing is always to qualify in the group. If you can directly advance to the top eight, of course it is best. If not, we will strive to play a playoffs from 9th to 24th. It is no big deal, just like last year's Europa League. Because if we can't even defeat the opponent in the knockout playoffs, then we will find it difficult to achieve in the Europa League.

The core of my efforts is to maintain a balance between La Liga and the UEFA Cup. I think that's the fundamental reason why we can continue to compete in the European game and always qualify again next season. The strategy this season will be exactly the same. Last year we were criticized in the early days of the European Union, when there were eight or nine casualties in the team. If we had sent all the main players in the European League at that time, it would be impossible for us to maintain our position in La Liga. This is a strategy that some people may not agree with, but history has proven that this is the right path to lead the team forward.

Are you worried about the intensive schedule? The intensive schedule is not a problem for me. We have experience coping over the past four seasons and will continue to follow the same approach. The key is to understand that the scores lost in La Liga are irreversible, and in European games, as long as you can finally qualify from the group, there is a chance to make up for it. Therefore, it is not advisable to relax the league for the sake of European competition, and this is also the mentality we have successfully instilled in the team over the years.

How is Anthony's performance?

From my personal point of view, I have no concerns about Anthony. The last time he played the official game was in May, and there were three months since then that he had neither competition nor training with the team, so it was a completely normal process for his condition to get better and better games one by one. When he holds the ball, he always brings us the same threat and creates a unique opportunity. He himself is also very clear that he needs to improve gradually through the competition, so I am very satisfied with him in all aspects.

How to maximize his abilities?

First of all, we will strive to maximize his technical characteristics. Secondly, I think the team's tactical style is very beneficial to creative players like Anthony. Let him feel his importance in the team, which can also greatly stimulate the performance of the players. I am truly happy for him because he has gone through two tough seasons and as a high-priced player, he can now meet expectations from the outside world, which is a good thing for him and for Betis.

About rotation strategy?

Whether to rotate depends entirely on the players' own performance. First of all, the injury situation will force us to rotate; secondly, by observing the players' daily state, I can make adjustments with more confidence and be sure that I have not chosen the wrong person. The players are all ready to play three, four or even five games in a row, but if you always rely on the same group of people, when you need other players, they will lose motivation due to lack of rhythm of the game… This is very bad for the overall atmosphere of the team. Therefore, rotation is definitely directly linked to the competitive state the players show me every day.