Manuel Pellegrini, the current coach of Real Betis, spoke about the upcoming Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Despite having previously coached Real Madrid, he stated that although he doesn’t want to take sides, he believes Barcelona deserves the title from a footballing perspective.

The Copa del Rey final will take place on Saturday night at La Cartuja Stadium. La Liga matches were held late this week to allow Spanish football to prepare for an exciting El Clásico showdown, which will determine the first major trophy of the season in Spanish football.

Pellegrini, who coached Real Madrid in the 2009-10 season, initially avoided taking sides when questioned by reporters. However, when pressed further, he admitted his affection for Real Madrid due to his fond memories of coaching the team.

Pellegrini had a strange season with Real Madrid. He achieved impressive results in La Liga, finishing with 96 points, but still ended up in second place. His team suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat against lower-tier Alcorcón in the Copa del Rey and was eliminated by Lyon in the Champions League Round of 16.

Pellegrini said today regarding the Copa del Rey final: “I can’t take sides between the two teams. I will say that I love Real Madrid because I coached them. But if we look at it from a football perspective, based on what we’ve seen from Barcelona this season, they deserve the title. I hope the better team wins.”