Manuel Pellegrini says that Antony "wanted revenge" when joining Real Betis, having struggled to live up to his hefty Manchester United price tag.

Antony joined United from Ajax in August 2022 for a reported £85million, linking up with former manager Erik ten Hag.

However, he struggled to make an impact in the Premier League, netting just five goals and registering three assists in 62 appearances in the competition.

Following Ten Hag's dismissal in October, Antony struggled to get into the team under Ruben Amorim, before joining Betis on a half-season loan in January.

He made an instant impact in Spain. He has made 25 appearances across all competitions, scoring nine goals and assisting five as he helped Betis finish sixth in LaLiga and reach the Conference League final.

And speaking ahead of the showpiece against Chelsea, Pellegrini highlighted how Antony was motivated to prove a point.

"I spoke with him before he came to Betis. He told me that he was not playing because he was not happy, but he had a lot of complaints about what he has done also," Pellegrini said.

"He wanted revenge, and here in Betis, I think he had it, and he did it in the way we know he can do, because it's not easy for you to play as a 100-million player.

"And Antony is a very good player. I am absolutely sure that this is a huge time for him here in Betis to help improve his career."

Betis are playing in their first major European final, becoming the first Spanish side to do so since 2020-21, with Villarreal triumphing by beating Man Utd on penalties in the Europa League.

Spanish sides have won each of their last nine major European finals against English opponents. However, Betis have won just one of eight matches against English opposition in all competitions (D1 L6), beating Chelsea in the 2005-06 Champions League.

"I don't think it's David v Goliath - we've got the same chance as they do of winning the title," Pellegrini added.

"The emotional side has to be controlled because one mistake can be costly. If we play them as equals, we have a chance to win. We mustn't make errors through over-motivation.

"It's been a year-long effort to qualify for Europe with four games to spare, and we've had the ability to reach this final. It's Betis' first international final, and we feel confident."