‘I Was Very Near’ to Becoming Liverpool Manager, Claims New Manchester City Boss Manuel Pellegrini

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Highly regarded Chilean is officially unveiled as City’s trainer. 

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New Manchester City head coach Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that he very nearly joined Liverpool three years ago, says the Daily Mail.

The experienced Chilean has just taken over from the recently departed City boss Roberto Mancini at Eastlands after the Italian was let go by the north-west giants after failing to retain the Premier League title last season, which was won by the club’s fierce city rivals Manchester United instead.

However, speaking on his official unveiling as the new City manager, the 59-year-old claimed that he could already have been coaching in the English top flight after having been approached by the Merseysiders back in the summer of 2010 following their sacking of Rafa Benitez, only for Pellegrini to instead opt to sign for Liga outfit Malaga instead following his dismissal by Real Madrid earlier that year.

“I had twice chances to arrive here before,” said Pellegrini.

“One was to Manchester City but with the other owners, not these owners.

“Liverpool, I was very near, after Real Madrid, to arrive at Liverpool.

“But for different things, it was not the moment. Now it is the right moment with the right club.”

The first offer to coach City that Pellegrini was referring to came back in 2007 when previous Blues owner Thaksin Shinawatra tried to lure him to Eastlands, before turning to Sven-Goran Eriksson instead when rejected by the now City trainer.

Either way, the mega-rich Premier League club will now just be happy to have finally got their man after years of trying, with Pellegrini having recently enjoyed huge success while in charge of Liga sides Villarreal, Madrid and Malaga, the latter of which he was just seconds away from guiding to the semi-finals of last season’s Uefa Champions League.


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