Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini has said that Manchester United forward Antony wanted revenge after he arrived at the club on loan.
He recently revealed that Antony was distraught after failing to live up to his hefty price tag in England.
Speaking ahead of the UEFA Conference League final vs Chelsea, Pellegrini shared that Antony joined the club wanting to prove a point.
The coach stated that the former Ajax winger told him that he was not playing at MUFC because he was not happy, stressing that the gloomy environment at Old Trafford played a major part in his poor form.
According to him, Antony has definitely shown that he can thrive when there is less pressure on him, and he expects the forward’s career to blossom from here on.
“I spoke with him before he came to Betis. He told me that he was not playing because he was not happy, but he had a lot of complaints about what he has done also.
He wanted revenge and here in Betis I think he had it and he did it in the way we know he can do because it’s not easy for you to play as a 100-million player. And Antony is a very good player. I am absolutely sure that this is a huge time for him here in Betis to help improve his career,” he said.
The ex-Manchester City coach believes that Chelsea’s expensive squad will count for nothing when the final kicks off tonight, stressing that Real Betis will have the same chance as their opponent to lift the trophy.
Pellegrini concluded by saying that he doesn’t see the Conference League final as a David and Goliath situation because 90 minutes or more will decide which team is better.
“We don’t think that we are David and Goliath. I think that tomorrow we’ll have exactly the same possibility to win the game. We are going to start from the first minute to try to do it.
It doesn’t matter how much budget one team or the other team has. In 90 minutes on the pitch, we will have exactly the same chance to win that game,” he added.
Meanwhile, Real Betis captain Isco revealed that victory can be assured for the Spanish club if only the players can believe.
“Believing is the first step to victory. It is going to be a very difficult game, but we trust our squad. We have proved that we are capable of beating any team, and we are looking forward to this final and bringing joy to our fans, who have deserved it the most,” he added.
