West Ham United‘s Pablo Fornals wasn’t happy with the Championship side’s decision to part ways with Manuel Pellegrini in December 2019.
The Chilean joined West Ham in July 2018 and signed the midfielder from Villarreal the following year.
Fornals made 20 appearances under his orders before the London club showed Pellegrini the exit door.
The 30-year-old reunited with the manager when Real Betis signed him in February 2024 and is still at the Andalusian club.
Ex-West Ham boss’ huge impact on career
Pablo Fornals has played 203 matches for the English club, managing 23 goals and 19 assists. He was part of the Hammers’ UEFA Conference League winning squad in 2023.
Monday’s edition of Diario de Sevilla have published a detailed interview with the player. We focus on his comments about Manuel Pellergini and West Ham United
The 73-year-old signed him for the London club and then for Real Betis. The newspaper points at this and asks whether he has a special connection with the manager.
He said: “Beyond the respect and admiration I have for him as a coach, for his career and what he’s done, it’s true that I have something special with him. When I was a kid, he was the Villarreal manager we all watched on TV in awe.”
“He signed me for West Ham and gave me the opportunity to fulfil a dream of playing in the Premier League. And when my time in England ended, he also decided he wanted me here.”
“For one reason or another, I’ve been lucky enough to be close to him since I was young without even knowing him. I admire a person who, at 73, still enjoys this every day and who has a pure passion for football.”
Unhappy with Pellegrini’s West Ham exit
The Chilean started his coaching career in 1988 and managed over a dozen teams. At West Ham United, he guided them to finish 10th during the 2018/19 season.
In December 2019, the English club parted ways with him. At that time, they were 17th in the Premier League, a point above the relegation zone.
Pablo Fornals, now looking back at the Hammers’ decision to part ways Manuel Pellegrini, doesn’t seem to accept it.
“And the day they sacked him, I scored a goal. My first goal for West Ham, the 2-1 against Leicester… So, I try not to talk about it with him,” Fornals explained.
“The team wasn’t doing badly. We weren’t in the relegation zone or anything, but the owners decided to let him go and brought in David Moyes, who then stayed for quite a few years.”
Last year, the Spaniard explained how his time in the English capital had helped him at Real Betis.
His former club dropped out of the Premier League in May, and he’s sad to see them play in the Championship this season.
He was asked how he experienced West Ham going from the Conference League winners to the Championship.
He added: “With sadness. Because I was there for four and a half years and both my family and I are West Ham fans.”
“Beyond the players, there are many people working behind the scenes for the team. Even in the Championship, they still fill a stadium of more than 60,000 people, showing devotion to their club. Players, coaches, even presidents come and go, but the fans are always there and they’re the ones who suffer the most in these situations.”
