Real Betis is finally on the rise. Who is behind it?

The top three spots in the Spanish LaLiga have been reserved for Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona for many years. The last time Valencia broke that dominance was in the 2011/12 season. One of the teams well placed to do so is Real Betis.

Los Verdiblancos, the green and whites, have had a very turbulent season. Between 2009 and 2020, the club qualified for the Europa League twice, but they were also relegated to the second league twice.

The relegation in 2009 even sparked a massive protest – over 60,000 fans took to the centre of Seville to show their displeasure to club president Loper.

The club also changed a total of 12 managers in that timeframe, so it’s no wonder it was difficult to find any consistency.

Now it looks like the situation is finally turning for the better. Manuel Pellegrini took over at Real Betis in the summer of 2020 and he is incredibly comfortable in the Spanish environment.

He previously worked at Villarreal, who under him qualified for the Champions League for the first time and reached the semi-finals. He scored 96 points with Real Madrid, a club record at the time. He set the same record with Málaga, who he took to 4th place with 58 points.

Moreover, he is the best in each of these teams in terms of percentage of games won:: 48% at Villarreal, 42% at Málaga and 82% at Madrid. And to make matters worse, he now holds the same title at Betis.

Although the start of his engagement at the club was not the best (7 losses out of 11 league games), the club management remained patient this time. And it paid off.

The season before his arrival, Los Verdiblancos finished 15th, only 5 points away from relegation. Pellegrini, however, in his very first season won 6th place and therefore the Europa League.

And this year it looks even better. Pellegrini’s charges hold 3rd place in LaLiga, 5 points behind their big city rival Sevilla, one position above. Moreover, they present attractive and offensive football, with only Real Madrid scoring more goals this season (51) than Betis (47).

The Europa League is also well played. Under Pellegrini’s leadership, Betis managed to qualify for the knockout stages, beat Zenit St Petersburg in the last 16 and are currently facing Frankfurt in Germany.

But that’s not all, the team from the south of Spain has also played well in the domestic cup. In the Copa del Rey, they are one step away from the final – they won the first leg of the semi-final 2-1 at the Vallecano Stadium and will be in a better position in the return leg.

On its way to the semi-finals, it managed, for example, to demolish Real Sociedad 4-0, or to beat Sevilla 2-1 in a tense derby that even had to be suspended because of the fans. In the match, Nabil Fekir drew attention to himself with a goal straight from a corner.

The fact that this year’s Copa del Rey has not gone the way of Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid further increases Betis’ chances of winning their first trophy since the 2004/05 season. If they advance, one of the Valencia-Bilbao pairing will await them in the final.

Although Pellegrini has a big part to play in Betis’ rise, the fact that he has a great squad at his disposal certainly makes his job easier. The club has been successful in acquiring interesting players on the transfer market and the team has benefited from it.

The management is not afraid to show confidence in players who are struggling to fulfill their potential or have had bad engagements. And the players repay that trust with performances on the pitch.

William Jose tried unsuccessfully to catch on at Wolverhampton, Betis allowed him to return to LaLiga before this season and the striker has so far rewarded him with 9 goals.

Sergio Canales has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, having to undergo 3 knee operations. Now he shines at Betis and has developed into one of the best midfielders in the Spanish league.

For Guido Rodríguez, another midfielder of the team, the engagement in the club is the first start in Europe, but he adapted very quickly and thanks to his good performances he has also made his way into the Argentine national team.

Héctor Bellerín, too, has quickly settled at Betis, where he is on loan from Arsenal, and is enjoying the club’s environment, not least because his family are fans of Los Verdiblancos.

Veteran Joaquín also deserves a mention, as he continues his career and is still a valid member of the team at the age of 40.

But there can be no doubt about the main star of the squad. Nabil Fekir was supposed to move from Lyon to Liverpool in 2018 for £50 million. But the transfer fell through and Fekir was acquired by Betis a year later for £16.5 million.

The footballing public was astonished at the transfer, with many fans worried that it was a step backwards for Fekir. However, he has been performing brilliantly at Betis and showing his full potential. He has 9 goals and 7 assists this season.

Due to his performances, he has had transfer offers, and there has been speculation about Barcelona’s interest. However, the 28-year-old Frenchman is happy at the club and last month signed a new contract until 2026.

The club has also been selling well in recent years. Dani Ceballos has gone to Madrid, Fabián Ruiz to Napoli, Giovanni Lo Celso to Tottenham and Emerson to Barcelona. The club made nearly £100 million from these departures.

A quality and experienced coach, with plenty of success to his credit and who has been given time by the management, and a great squad with the star Fekir at the helm is a combination that works fantastically.

Real Betis have a great run in the league, Europa League and domestic cup and are well on their way to winning their first trophy since 2005. The team’s good performances can also be appreciated by the fans, who created a great atmosphere at the Estadio Benito Villamarín after their progress over Zenit.

However, the end of the season is still a long way off and Los Verdiblancos have a series of key games ahead of them – a derby with Sevilla and a tough match against Atlético in the league, with a Copa del Rey semi-final rematch with Vallecano in between. Then comes the Europa League semi-final against Frankfurt.

A tough test that will largely determine how successful this season will ultimately be. However, Real Betis fans can now rest easy. After years of instability and fluctuating performances, their club seems to finally be on the right track.

Sources: The Athletic, Transfermarkt