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Pellistri’s excellent performance in this international window and in both of Uruguay’s games against Colombia and Brazil where he was MVP, the “suffering” of endless travel and environment changes every 20-25 days and Vitoria’s belief that from now on, the 23-year-old winger will bring out all his quality characteristics on the field.
Its quality and class Facundo Pelistri they were never questioned by anyone… Even during the difficult days he spent intermittently at Manchester United.
When coach Marcelo Bielsa since taking over the reins of the Uruguayan national team has always had him in his first choices, preparing him – along with Federico Valverde and Darwin Nunes – as one of the pillars of the day after the “celeste” left old “series” (Cavani, Suarez), all the rest are surplus…
And Panathinaikos made a huge investment in him last summer, with a payment of 6.5 million. euros to United for 55% of his rights and a four-year contract with annual earnings close to 1.8 million. euros towards the 23-year-old winger, seeing in his face a player who can be one of his next leaders, raising the level of his midfield many times over.
In his first quarter in the “clover” it is true that Pelistri has not been able to show – until now – a completely stable image through the games of Panathinaikos.
Although he has played in all 15 games for the Greens (eight as a starter) since the day he signed (August 22), his tally so far in 811 minutes of action is two goals (the one that gave him qualification for the match against Lance and the one he reduced in the final 1-4 against Chelsea) and an assist on Tete’s equalizing goal against Athens Kallithea.
The Uruguayan, however, also had to manage a really difficult condition, the most difficult of any other player on the green roster:
The enormous mental and physical fatigue from the endless trips back and forth from Athens to Latin America in the three international windows of autumn.
In the last one to Uruguay and Brazil and back, he had to cover more than 23,000 kilometers in a few days.
All this over… three months in September, October and November in countless hours of flying and environment changes every 20-25 days.
As… easy as all this sounds for “outsiders”, in its essence and its management, it is not for any footballer, let alone when he has only been in his (new) team for a few months.
And this is one of the most important – if not the most important – reasons why he has not been able to find a stable rhythm and permanently high returns in his matches with the “clover”.
Protagonist in both of her games
The “good” news for Rui Vitoria was the image of Pellistri in the two very competitive games he gave the previous ten days with Uruguay for the qualifiers of the 2026 World Cup in the Latin American zone.
Following his good performance in the last match against Lamia (where the image of the rest of Panathinaikos was bad) and his most complete game so far in the “trefoil” shirt, Pelistri was the MVP of “celeste” and in match against Colombia, where he gave the assist of the victory (3-2) in the 90’+10′ to Ugarte, but also in the big derby against Brazil in Salvador (1-1).
He played with the Brazilians until 66′ and was the leader of Uruguay, being a permanent “thorn” for the “seleção” defense. And this is something Pelistri needed…
Vittoria’s saying was (also) about him
On the evening of the match against Lamia (10/11), Vitoria had said at the press conference when asked about the many absences that will be ahead of him for a ten-day period due to the international matches that “…what we want is for the players who will represent their national teams to do well and return with a good mentality and prepared for the difficult part of the following season”.
And this then went (also) to Pelistri, who returns from this international window, with extra fatigue, but in the best possible condition and psychological mood.
Vitoria knows very well what kind of player he has on his hands and how important Pellistri can become in his plan, but also in the team’s game.
In the mind of the 54-year-old technician, it is clear that the Uruguayan winger can develop into an X-Factor for Panathinaikos in this very important series of games that follows until the end of 2024, but also in the month of big games in the league and Cup at the dawn of 2025.
It removed all worry and doubt from him
After all, when he took over the coaching reins of Panathinaikos, he was one of the first that he caught in private to talk to him and dispel any worries and doubts he might have had in him, given that the coach who had just left essentially brought him to Greece (Diego Alonso).
And it gave him from the beginning the feeling, the security and the confidence of how important he was to him, but also to the team as a whole.
Not only because the club made a very large investment in him, but above all because his competitive characteristics can give another dynamic to Panathinaikos.
And since the “suffering” of traveling on the other side of the Atlantic is now put aside, at least until March, Vitoria is convinced that very soon Pellistri will be able to make a difference.
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