Vicente Cantatore directed the Real Betis in the 98/99. It was his penultimate club before ‘retiring’ unofficially but definitively in the Sporting Gijón. He was born in Rosario (Argentina), but he considered himself Chilean. He crossed the Andes to the 25 years and he never left except for work, building a successful career as a footballer there and, later, on the bench. It would be the predecessor of Manuel Pellegrinifor now the last representative of the longest and narrowest country no longer South Americabut of the World, in a Real Betis which also had five footballers born on the banks of the Peaceful. One of them, Felipe Gutierrez (2016-2018) visited, already retired, this Wednesday his compatriot in The Bermejales. Behind him, only Claudio Bravo (2020-2024). Before, the precursor, Patricio ‘Pato‘ Yáñez (1990-1994), in addition to Mark Gonzalez (2007-2009) y Lorenzo ‘Lolo‘ Reyes (2013-2016).
The one with the most name has been the goalkeeper of Vilucowho came from winning everything with FC Barcelona and Manchester City (16 titles), in addition to having made history in Colo Colo and the ‘Roja‘. It is the only one, along with the ‘Engineer‘, which has touched silver as green and white, specifically the Copa del Rey 21/22. The fittings of the two midfielders were homemade, although it is true that the former Huachipato was proclaimed champion of Second division with the t-shirt with the shield of the thirteen bars. Everyone scored points here (Bravofor obvious reasons, only received them), but the left-handed winger, who had just raised a glass in the Liverpool and swelled in Russia with the Spartak Moscowcan boast of eleven goals and a twelfth for the annals, by converting the penalty that he would provide against the Milan the party of Centenary of the entity of The Palm Tree.
And they have not been more Chilean than the six and a half mentioned because Pellegrini He didn’t want to. During his stay, several compatriots have been offered, although they did not end up arriving, largely due to their rejection. One of them, the versatile defender Mauritius Islandbut also the pivot Erik Pulgar or the veteran forward Alexis Sanchez. The centrals were linked with less force Paulo Díaz and Guillermo Maripán. Questioned on some occasions about the matter from his homeland, the coach Santiago He threw the ball out, like when they hint to him that he has never done much of his part to be a Chilean coach, a task that still excites him if there are changes in the federation and Andean football in particular.