<p><strong>In the coming weeks, Mauricio Pellegrino will be facing his Argentine counterparts, Marcelo Bielsa and Diego Simeone, who are the coaches of Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid.</strong></p>
<p>The Argentine coach hasn’t had the best of starts in La Liga this season since his team, Valencia, are struggling to maintain form.</p>
<p>Poor performances and mistakes are what have cost them so far. However, he is getting ready to host fellow country man, Bielsa, for the next La Liga match.</p>
<p>He talked about the experience he has had with Bielsa and shed some light on his personality as a coach.</p>
<p>“I shared a year with him when I was a player and I learned a lot both personally and professionally,” he admitted.</p>
<p>He also talked about the influence of Bielsa as a coach and how he is highly respected in Argentina.</p>
<p>“Marcelo has great prestige for Argentine Coaches and in our football and he is one of the most knowledgeable technicians in Argentina,” he continued.</p>
<p>Pellegrino then switched his attention to the other Argentine coach, Diego Simeone, who is now having a great time with Atletico Madrid as his team are now enjoying a sensational start to the season.</p>
<p>“I’ve known him more professionally and I think that he is coaching in the same way that he was a player,” he admitted.</p>
<p>Finally, he shared his thoughts on the high-flying Atletico Madrid team who have exceeded all expectations this season as they have already won six of their seven La Liga matches and are now level on points with Barcelona at the top of the table. </p>
<p>The Argentine coach conceded that Atletico are a strong team and they will be fighting until the end of the season.</p>
<p>Regardless, he feels that Valencia’s destiny is in its own hands and they have to depend on themselves rather than wait for other teams to stumble.</p>
<p>“They may be there [fighting for third]. Our future will depend more on what we are able to do ourselves, rather than on others.”</p>
<p>Next in La Liga, Valencia will host Athletic Bilbao at Estadio Mestalla on Saturday, October 20.</p>
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