Chile’s ‘charming man’ finally wins English hearts, alongside trophies

In his first season in English soccer, Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini won the love of wary fans, the loyalty of a squad of millionaires and two domestic trophies, including that which matters most. Perhaps his toughest battle of all, however, was winning the respect of reporters in a country in which both playing and talking about soccer is a serious business.

England’s insatiable footballing press creates myths of men as quickly as it turns them to monsters. But for the moment at least, Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini is finally the darling of Premier League tacticians, despite being largely overlooked throughout the season by pundits for his more outspoken and media-savvy rivals.

Pellegrini had the luxury of the most expensive squad in England and the fourth richest in the world, one which had won the domestic title just two seasons previous. He also inherited the pressure to deliver trophies at all costs and a dressing room reportedly plagued by ego and infighting. This had led to the ousting of his predecessor Roberto Mancini, despite the fact that the Italian had taken an expensive but underachieving club from mid-table obscurity to an FA Cup crown, Champions League football and its first top division title in 44 years.

On Sunday, Pellegrini delivered on those hefty expectations, and he did so with a group of stars which he had not only unified to play as a team, but according to his distinctive brand of football.