Pellegrini analyzed Betis's La Liga match against Real Madrid tomorrow.

Real Betis manager Pellegrini held a press conference at the Luis del Sol training center this afternoon to preview tomorrow's fourth-round La Liga fixture against Real Madrid at Estadio La Cartuja. He also addressed the transfer market, which closed last Tuesday, reiterating his belief that the team still needs a defensive midfielder.

On the team's preparation for the match: "Like all teams at the start of the season, we're finding our rhythm match by match. We've played three games—the first two were very good, and the last one was very poor. Team performance fluctuates, which happens often. We hope to play well in the next match and recover our original level at home."

On the transfer window closing without signing a defensive midfielder: "The squad is closed, as you said. I've already stated my original opinion, and it won't change in three or four days. We'll take it week by week and find the best solution."

On having only two defensive midfielders in the squad: "You should be the ones analyzing that. This week I'll try different solutions and see what happens in the match, testing different positions. We all know everyone's characteristics and qualities, and we all know that everyone has the ability to form a team. So we'll continue to see if they can play together, if the schedule is tight, if someone is injured—these factors always change the ideal lineup for each match."

On whether Ceballos can bring a qualitative change: "I already said last week what we need. Dani Ceballos's career has proven he's a quality player who can help us in this position. We'll have different options, and undoubtedly, he'll be a very good reinforcement for the team. As for other analysis, let's set that aside. If you ask me only about Ceballos, he will undoubtedly be an important option."

Can Ceballos play tomorrow? "No, Ceballos is not in the squad list. He just joined the team, needs a few days to adapt, and hasn't played in a long time, so he's not eligible to play tomorrow."

On disagreements with the sporting management: "Everyone has the right to express their opinion, and opinions differ. I won't publicly analyze any internal comparisons that may exist at the club."

On the controversy with Mourinho: "Mourinho and I have known each other for many years and had many confrontations on the pitch. There was a verbal dispute between us long ago, but it has no impact anymore. Everyone can say what they want. I was very happy in Málaga—that was one of the best decisions I made in my career—so there's no conflict between us. Perhaps the media wants to create opposition. We've played against each other many times: sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. I've always had a very good opinion of him as a manager, and I think he's much more mature now than a few years ago and speaks more rationally."

On Pablo García's departure: "There are many controversial aspects to Pablo García's exit. First, I spoke with him about a month ago, three weeks ago, and told him he should stay because he's an important player, but he still needs to mature and continue growing—he has a promising future. Second, he wanted to leave; in recent weeks, he's been seeking opportunities elsewhere and communicating with relevant people, hoping to get sold. Third, I think leaving Real Betis after so many years may have affected him emotionally."

On tomorrow's opponent, Real Madrid: "This will be a very difficult match, as it always is against top-table teams—whether Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid signed many players this year, are currently in good form, and have players who can break deadlocks. If we want to get points, we must play a very complete match."

On other absent players: "Giovani Lo Celso and Abde are not available tomorrow. Giovani is almost ready, having participated in almost all training sessions with the full squad. Abde has flu symptoms today, so he couldn't come, and we hope both will be available next week."

On Antony and other absences: "The absent players are Diego Conde and Aitor, who were injured previously. Antony had a viral infection, fever, and flu symptoms a few days ago, but he's trained normally for three consecutive days, so he'll be in tomorrow's squad. Otherwise, only Lozada is excluded from the 23-man squad, and Ceballos, who is just beginning to integrate with the team."

On overlapping positions: "You should all know my opinion by now. If I haven't said it before, I'll say it now: we still need an attacking midfielder, a striker, a goalkeeper, and a fullback. So you could ask if the current squad is sufficient. If I say we still need a player and that player didn't arrive, my opinion remains the same. Other positions have dual setups, as in previous years, so there's no major issue."

On how he sees Ceballos's position: "I don't think this will cause any limitations. As you said, both players are very versatile. Ceballos has played as a number 10, alongside the defensive midfielder, and on the wing. Pablo Fornals can also play that way. Their characteristics aren't limited to one position—they have the ability to play in different roles."

On Iker Lozada's decision to stay: "I don't have any particular opinion. For me, the squad is the squad, and I'll decide which players are in the best form for each match. It's not my job to push players out; my job is to do my best to guide them and keep them available at all times. These players were also signed not long ago. From that perspective, I think Lozada knows my opinion. His position is difficult because Isco, Lo Celso, Ceballos, and Fornals are ahead of him, but the player himself makes that decision. My task is to work with them, whether they're the strongest, weakest, most expensive, or cheapest—to me it's all the same, and the demands are identical."

On fans' disappointment with the transfer market: "I understand that football is full of passion, not pure rationality. Real Betis fans have that passion, and of course everyone wants a stronger squad. We also need to remember that expectations will be higher. Champions League matches will bring many frustrations and difficult moments, but I think this team has responded over the years. We've also had years where we sold much more than we bought, but the team always knows how to rise. Now we're facing a higher level because of the Champions League. Fans are certainly anxious about it, but I believe that in the end, Real Betis fans will support the team, and our players will do their best in each match to satisfy them."

On whether he can guarantee the team will rise: "I can't predict the future. However, I can say that anything can happen in football results, and that's why this sport is so popular. We played well in the first two matches, opponents didn't score, and in preseason, they didn't either. Levante hadn't scored a goal before, but then scored five against us. Football is like that—each day is different. I always tell the players: after a win, you have 24 hours to celebrate; after a loss, you have 24 hours to digest the disappointment. The next match is completely different, and we'll continue doing things with basically the same mentality we've had over the last seven seasons."

On De Osa's conversation with his teammates: "I've already said I won't interfere if players accept or reject offers. Nilsson De Osa was talking about a different matter yesterday—something that had nothing to do with transfers. It was a personal issue he wanted the whole team to know about. It has nothing to do with football, just an off-field matter, nothing serious and with no major impact."

On Morante's return: "Morante is indeed in the squad list. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious knee injury before, and this is the first time he's been able to participate in training at almost 100%. So yes, he was called up."

On the European squad list and Amrabat's situation: "The list is what it is, nothing more. As for Amrabat, I always stay in touch with players who leave, thank them for their efforts, and inform them of my personal opinion. That matter is closed. Amrabat signed with Ajax, and I wish him all the best in his future career. Now we'll focus on the players we have."

On his future at Real Betis: "That's not my priority at the moment, so I don't think there will be any impact in that regard."

Traduzido por IA.

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