MANUEL PELLEGRINI'S RECORD


Pellegrini set new La Liga record for foreign coaches

Real Betis’ Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini became the most experienced foreign coach in the history of Spanish league. 
At the moment, he has managed a total of 489 games in La Liga, the last of them on 18 September vs Jetafe (2-1).
Pellegrini surpassed the old record of Ferdinand Daučík (Czechoslovakia) who amassed 488 games between 1950 and 1971.
The total amount of Manuel Pellegrini is made up of 190 games with Villarreal, 38 with Real Madrid, 104 with Málaga and 157 with his current club Real Betis.
Atletico Madrid’s coach Diego Simeone (484) is also close to the record figure; he should surpass Daučík from his own during few weeks.
Pellegrini is also very close to beat another La Liga record, for the oldest coach. It will almost surely happen in just few days. His age on the day of last Betis game was 71 years 2 days while the current record holder Helenio Herrera was 71 years 16 days old at his final La Liga game as Barcelona coach in 1981.
In the ranking below, only original nationality of a coach is mentioned (some of them have double or even triple citizenship).

 SPAIN TOP      DIVISION  
 FOREIGN COACHESWITHMOSTGAMES
     
 PlayerNationalityGamesPeriod
     
1Manuel PellegriniChile4892004-
2Ferdinand DaučíkCzechoslovakia4881950-1971
3Diego SimeoneArgentina4842012-
4John ToshackWales4801985-2004
5Javier AguirreMéxico4662002-2024
6Marcel DomingoFrance4551958-1984
7Radomir AntićYugoslavia/Serbia4091988-2004
8Helenio HerreraArgentina3591948-1981
9Roque OlsenArgentina3451962-1989
10Víctor EspárragoUruguay3301987-2006
11Alfredo Di StéfanoArgentina3051967-1991
12Johan CruyffNetherlands3001988-1996