Pellegrini to stay

The 54-year-old coach was rumoured to be preparing his exit after a frustrating season which has seen him fall out with previously key player Juan Roman Riquelme and his side languishing in mid-table and fail to build on their impressive previous two campaigns which saw them reach the Champions League semi-finals last season.

"I am happy at Villarreal and also the club are happy with me, the two main things in the world of football management," Pellegrini told La Tercera in his native Chile.

A poor run of form was turned around at the weekend when goals by Robert Pires and Marcos gave them a 2-0 win over Barcelona at El Madrigal, and Pellegrini is philosophical about fan and media responses to differing results.

"Football is a strange game and after two consecutive defeats rumours of an exit always appear but Villarreal are a very professional club," he said.

"Some clubs have asked about my future but this is not an option for me."

Pellegrini also rejected the option of loaning out young midfielder Matias Fernandez, saying that the 20-year-old Chile international starlet "needs to adapt to Spanish football and will become a top player in La Liga."