It is not very common for Manuel Pellegrini to give interviews, but this time the Chilean coach did it in Argentina to remember the title he won with San Lorenzo in the Clausura 2001 Championship.
In an interview with Olé, the Chilean strategist acknowledged: "What I experienced at San Lorenzo was something very special because I arrived at a complicated moment in the club, but I found an extraordinary and receptive team that wanted to move forward."
"For me, that team is unforgettable because of how it was formed and how it played. We managed to get the players to play in a certain way and put on a show in every match, which is why they won 11 consecutive matches," added the "Engineer".
In addition, he added: "What was special? We did a convincing job and managed to train and play in a different way from what was done in Argentina at that time. A radical change that was complicated at first, but that the players absorbed very well and automated."
The former manager of Real Madrid and Manchester City also admitted that he arrived at the Azulgrana team as an unknown to the Argentine media: "I remember the first talk with the squad, I had just arrived from Chile and they didn't know me much, only through the recommendation of 'Pipo' (Néstor) Gorosito and 'Beto' (Alberto) Acosta, two great players and people, with whom I still maintain a friendship today."
"I remember that I finished and for me, I had given an exceptional talk, but suddenly Horacio Ameli, who was the captain, stood up and told me that they had not been paid for two years and that what I asked for could not be done. I told him that if they were not getting paid this way, we should go for sporting glory... They did it and we achieved it. There was a very strong relationship between the coaching staff and the players with total commitment from the whole group, the entire squad, because everyone had their share of participation and was important," he added.
Finally, Pellegrini said: "I am grateful for everything I experienced there, also with Fernando Miele, who was the president and trusted me, and of course, I take this opportunity to send a huge hug to the people of San Lorenzo, I spent spectacular years there in Argentina and I hold them dear."