Manuel Pellegrini, coach of Real Betis, criticized Moroccan international Abdessamad Ezzalzouli after he missed a penalty during the match against Espanyol, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Betis on Sunday evening.
In his post-match statements, Pellegrini expressed his surprise, saying: « Ezzalzouli is not responsible for taking penalties at Real Betis, and I don’t understand why he took the shot, regardless of whether he scored or missed. »
The coach clarified that Giovanni Lo Celso is the designated player for such responsibilities within the team.
Pellegrini also voiced his displeasure at this unplanned decision on the field, stating that he would speak to the players to ensure such mistakes are not repeated.
He added: « Lo Celso is the first choice for taking penalties, and players should not act individually. »
Pellegrini emphasized that he was unaware of what transpired between the players during the match, but noted that Lo Celso had given up the penalty to Ezzalzouli, making it clear that such actions will not be tolerated in the future.
