Pellegrini opens up about getting tossed aside by Man City

In a revealing interview, Manuel Pellegrini finally opened up about the time he got tossed aside by Manchester City and Pep took his place.

It’s not that Manchester City didn’t treat Manuel Pellegrini well from the start. They only had a clear idea of the manager they wanted for years since the board materialized. The key names of this story are Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain. When they were hired by Manchester City, they revealed their intention to sign Pep Guardiola as soon as he left Bayern Munich. While this happened, they needed to sign a competent manager who could help them grow as a club.

When Manuel took control of the squad, nobody imagined the club would be this honest with him from the start. Telling your current manager his future is linked to another is not common but the Citizens were dead set on getting Guardiola. We all know how the story progressed and how much success Pep found at City. However, Pellegrini shared some revealing facts about the way he left the institution.

"You always think that you could have done things better, but I was happy with my three years at Manchester City."

Former #MCFC & #WHUFC boss Manuel Pellegrini talks Premier League, #UCL near-misses, Real Madrid's recruitment & more.

📝 @AndyMitten
— The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) February 27, 2021

Pellegrini knew his fate all along.

During an interview with The Athletic, Pellegrini was asked if he felt disrespected by the way Manchester City handled his dismissal: “No. When I first met with City (in 2013), the sports directors told me that they worked with Pep in Barcelona and wanted to work with him at Manchester City. They also explained that he had stopped for a year and was in the United States, but that if he wanted to join City, he would be the manager. If not, there would be no casting for managers, I would be manager.

“Pep decided to join Bayern Munich (that same summer) and the next day City called me and said: ‘Manuel, we have to talk with you, we have a contract’. Malaga were happy for me to leave because the money was being cut and all the players were being let go, so I signed with City. After three years I finished my contract and Pep finished his (in Munich). I left City with a very good relationship with the club, and the CEO Ferran Soriano.”