Manuel Pellegrini is a coach who has forged a deserved reputation in the Spanish game. Studious, meticulous and measured, Pellegrini's plumage is practically impossible to ruffle. Even when the Special One starts sending verbal volleys in the direction of Malaga's manager.
Last week, before the match between Real Madrid and Malaga at the Bernabeu, the Portuguese provocateur had a little stab at Pellegrini and, by proxy, the Andalusian club itself. "If Real sacked me, I wouldn't go to Malaga but to a big club in England or Italy," Jose Mourinho sniffed.
Pellegrini, the managerial chalk to Mourinho's cheese, did not retaliate, even though -- as has been the case many times this season -- Mourinho's mouth was a few steps ahead of his pencil. Had he taken time to compare his reign at the Bernabeu with that of Pellegrini's last season, Mourinho may have held his tongue.
At the same stage last season, match day 25, Real was top of La Liga, albeit on goal difference. Pellegrini's Blancos ultimately racked up 96 points overall, losing the title to Barcelona by the margin of a single win. Pellegrini dropped 18 points in his one season in charge. Mourinho had already seen 14 slip through his grasp before Malaga arrived in the capital. Mourinho will need to win 10 of Real's remaining eleven matches to better Pellegrini's haul.
Pellegrini, though, left a good deal of his moral standing on the Bernabeu turf. Malaga was slaughtered 7-0 on Thursday, and after the match Pellegrini openly admitted that his side had come to lose. "We knew we had set ourselves up for a thrashing," the Chilean told the press, looking even more downcast than usual. "We took out six of our starting eleven. The match was just a formality. We did not come to challenge for the three points against a team like Real. We decided to save the side for Osasuna."
In other European leagues, Pellegrini would now be the subject of an investigation by the governing body. In the Premier League, for example, Pellegrini would have been in breach of rules B13 and E20, which concern "good faith" toward the league and other clubs and demands every team "shall field a full strength team." Wolverhampton Wanderers pulled the same stunt as Pellegrini last season when they fielded a weakened team against Manchester United ahead of a bottom-of-the-table clash versus Burnley. As a result, Wolves incurred a suspended £25,000 fine from the Premier League Board.
Spain's Professional Football League has not taken any action against Malaga, but that is no great surprise. The vast majority of its income is gleaned from Real and Barca, and seeing its fortunate sons dish out a 7-0 stuffing every week is precisely what the LFP wants.
But it sets a dangerous precedent. If Liga clubs are given carte blanche to simply stop trying against Barcelona and Real, the competitiveness of the league will suffer even further. It is not impossible to stop the juggernaut of the big two. Several modest clubs have proved that this season. More hegemony for the league's two richest clubs might please the LFP, but it will not be of much interest to anyone else. Pellegrini and his peers have an obligation to compete in every game, whatever the opposition. The Chilean betrayed his vocation in the Bernabeu, while his reputation, already damaged by Malaga's woeful form, lost a little of its sheen.
Oh, and Malaga's match against Osasuna? Pellegrini lost that battle, too, leaving his side rock bottom with 23 points. The fight to stay in La Liga this season is a closely contested one; Pellegrini had better hope it is not ultimately decided on goal difference.