The Engineer lays the groundwork: what's behind Manuel Pellegrini's surprise backing of Nicolás Córdova for La Roja

Manuel Pellegrini addresses, as rarely before, the present situation of the national team. The Engineer admits that among his review of countless matches, from all competitions and teams around the world, those of La Roja are included. "The truth is that during the break, and permanently, I'm watching everyone's matches, not only Chile's national team, but also the English league, the Spanish league. This profession means many hours off the pitch in order to improve, watching everyone's characteristics," he states, ahead of the match between Betis and Barcelona, on matchday nine of the Spanish league. The strategist offers a clarification. "I don't have the information at this moment to give a precise account of how I see them (Chile), because I'm not involved in all their matches or training sessions," he continued. However, he does not avoid a powerful recommendation. "But it's important that Nicolás, who is there, keeps doing his job as he has been doing until now," he concludes. The Engineer lays the groundwork: what lies behind Manuel Pellegrini's surprising show of support for Nicolás Córdova in La Roja. Pellegrini must resolve his future. His contract with the Spanish club runs until June 30, 2027, although a clause established in the agreement would allow the Engineer to end the relationship early in the event of an offer from the national team. The ANFP has maintained permanent contact with the coach to convey its interest in having him finally take charge of the national bench. However, there is a crucial decision that, in practice, changes the counterparts. Under the new SADP law, La Roja falls under the Federation, which must resolve its authorities. The transition phase, with Pablo Milad at the helm, as FIFA noted, will extend until February. In theory, the qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup would begin in March. The ideal is to arrive at that deadline with a definitive coach. Nicolás Córdova, in La Roja's match against the United States (Photo: Photosport) JEFF LEE/PHOTOSPORT La Roja must remain active. And Pellegrini needs time to resolve his contractual situation. In that regard, Córdova's role takes on key importance. In principle, because it guarantees the continuity of the work. In November, there will be two friendlies, against Colombia. The first will be played on November 13 at the Pascual Guerrero stadium in Cali. The return match, four days later, at the National Stadium. Willing to work with him There is another element in the 'nod' that Pellegrini gives to Córdova. The current national team coach is a confessed admirer of the work of the former coach of Villarreal, Real Madrid and Manchester City, to the point that he has never been bothered by the constant shadow represented by mentions of him regarding the national team. In the middle of last year, in an interview with El Deportivo, Córdova admitted that working together with Pellegrini was a possible scenario. "Felipe (Correa, the national teams manager) said that I could be one of the candidates and I have this thing (shows his phone) flooded, because the titles are something else. I've already been at this 35 years. Nothing is going to happen to me. I know that if things go badly it's likely they could remove me, but those are the rules. And if things go well, they could still bring in another coach. Let's suppose things go super, mega, hyper well and don Manuel agrees to come: I would be the happiest man alive to be under don Manuel Pellegrini in the national team. It would be an honor. But do we know whether that will happen or whether it won't go well? No," he stated. NEWSLETTER El Deportivo Monday, 8:45 AM A special selection with coverage and analysis of the most important sporting events of the weekend, by the La Tercera Sports team. By subscribing you are accepting the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies of La Tercera.