{"id":512,"date":"2025-06-04T14:10:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T14:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/?p=512"},"modified":"2025-06-12T10:59:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T10:59:33","slug":"column-the-yellow-submarine-surfaces-again-in-europe-villarreals-champions-league-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/04\/column-the-yellow-submarine-surfaces-again-in-europe-villarreals-champions-league-return\/","title":{"rendered":"COLUMN: The Yellow Submarine Surfaces Again in Europe \u2013 Villarreal\u2019s Champions League Return"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">On the last La Liga matchday, Villarreal capped off their phenomenal campaign with a 4-2 dismantling of Sevilla. Champions League qualification was already in the bag, meaning the stakes were nil, but there was still plenty to celebrate. The atmosphere was electric, with 20,000 flags fluttering like a yellow sea, the Villarreal anthem roaring, and every soul in the stadium ready for the end-of-season party. It was a perfect send-off for the iconic Raul Albiol, who soaked in a heartfelt tribute from fans, teammates, and the club he\u2019d served so faithfully.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The emotion spilled onto the pitch almost immediately. Just three minutes in, the crowd erupted, and as if on cue, Yeremy Pino bagged a superb opener, lifting his shirt to reveal a personal dedication to Albiol. Villarreal smelled blood and pressed home their advantage, Pape Gueye doubling the lead a mere four minutes later with a thunderous left-footed strike from the edge of the box. While the game eventually settled down, the 4-2 conclusion is a good reflection of what Villarreal\u2019s season has been: a goal-fest. Villarreal smashed their all-time top-flight scoring record with 71 goals, and their points tally stands as their second-best ever in La Liga, eclipsed only by the iconic 77-point haul in 2007-08 of Manuel Pellegrini\u2019s Villarreal.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"VILLARREAL CF 4 - 2 SEVILLA FC I RESUMEN LALIGA EA SPORTS\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v09XLDbXTLE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Vila-real, a town in the Valencian Community of roughly 50,000 people, could fit its entire population in half of Barcelona\u2019s Camp Nou. Yet this town consistently rubs shoulders with the continental elite. Their fifth-place finish this season, which secured their Champions League spot through Spain\u2019s additional European Performance Spot, isn\u2019t exactly a bolt from the blue if we look at their finances. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Villarreal have budgeted a revenue of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.2playbook.com\/clubes\/villarreal-cf-preve-break-even-en-2024-2025-perder-141-millones-en-2023-2024_17477_102.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u20ac143m for this season<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, which would be the seventh-highest in La Liga and the fifth-highest wage bill. The real head-scratcher, however, is how this club from a rather modest town has amassed such significant financial power and consistently achieved success on the pitch. Let\u2019s explain how this happened.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Fernando Roig Model<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The pivotal moment in Villarreal\u2019s history was when Fernando Roig Alfonso, a seasoned businessman with an estimated net worth of US$1.7b, acquired the club in 1997. The Spanish billionaire, whose fortune is rooted in his ownership of <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pamesa Ceramica<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and a 9% stake in the supermarket giant <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Mercadona<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, embodies a form of club stewardship that prioritises stability and community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" class=\"wp-image-264581 has-webp lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;max-width: 1980px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Fernando Roig has seen Villarreal rise through the divisions.\" data-src=\"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Fernando-Roig.jpeg\"><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As he explains in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.relevo.com\/futbol\/liga-primera\/fernando-roig-formula-exito-villarreal-20230324111325-nt.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">an interview with Relevo<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Roig\u2019s journey with Villarreal began not as a long-held dream but more as a pragmatic business opportunity. He describes it as a chance encounter: the previous owner, Pascual Font de Mora, sought to sell, and Roig, whose ceramic business operated in the nearby town of Almassora, saw potential. He was also drawn to the fact that at Villarreal, he could be the sole owner making decisions, in stark contrast to a club like Valencia, where multiple individuals sought power and control. Roig had witnessed such power struggles first-hand as his own brother, Juan Roig, served as president. This clear chain of command, combined with the \u201cexcitement of being able to do something important,\u201d sealed the deal for the businessman.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Roig asserts that Villarreal is \u201cmanaged the same way as Mercadona or Pamesa\u201d,<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">but at the same time, he understands the emotional fabric of football.\u00a0 Roig states that while in his core businesses the objective is profit, for Villarreal, \u201cthe goal is not to make money\u2026 but rather to avoid losing money and to maintain the feeling [from the local fans and community].\u201d He candidly explains that in football, \u201ceven if he owns the stock, the true owner is the one who thinks in yellow: the fan\u201d. And every matchday is like a board meeting, where these owners let Roig know their thoughts.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The keys to Villarreal\u2019s enduring success under Roig are, in his own words, built on a foundation of hard work, a relentless focus on the youth academy, and mixing that homegrown talent with shrewd external signings. The club\u2019s c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">antera<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> is not merely a production line but a place where \u201cfirst, personal education and then sports\u201d are prioritised. Alex Baena, for example, shared that he chose Villarreal over Real Madrid because the club\u2019s more familial environment allowed him to go see his parents whenever he wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" class=\"wp-image-297532 has-webp lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;max-width: 1200px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Baena with his hands on hips.\" data-src=\"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Alex-Baena2.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image via X \/ Sport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s hard to paint Villarreal as a fairy<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">tale story because, in the end, its rise is still down to having a billionaire investor. However, when you see what kind of football ownership followed Roig\u2019s Villarreal acquisition (multi-club ownership, sportswashing, sovereign wealth funds, American private equity), it\u2019s hard not to feel that Roig\u2019s Villarreal venture is one of the best examples of how to mix football with capital in an healthy and sustainable way. Roig is a native of the Valencian community. He understands that the real owners of the club are its fans, and he prioritises continuity and long-term stability in his management of the club. Roig is someone who, in his own words, believes that \u201cfootball is giving back to society a part of what you\u2019ve earned.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">European Consistency and Occasional Hiccups<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the last 25 years, Villarreal has been a near-constant fixture in European competition. In their 25 seasons in La Liga, they have qualified for Europe a total of 17 times. This season\u2019s qualification for the Champions League would mark their fifth participation in Europe\u2019s most prestigious club competition, where they have already reached the semi-finals twice in 2006 and 2022. They\u2019ve also been Europa League regulars, and gloriously, outright winners in 2021, defeating Manchester United in a penalty shootout that still gives Red Devils fans nightmares.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Even the hiccups in their journey, like the occasional relegation (a sobering reminder that no project is truly immune to gravity) or the odd coaching merry-go-round, can do little to derail the overarching narrative. The club famously fired Javi Calleja, only to <\/span><a href=\"mailto:https:\/\/cadenaser.com\/ser\/2019\/01\/29\/deportes\/1548767801_085562.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">rehire him less than two months later.<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> More recently, the post-Unai Emery era in 2022 saw some struggles with the appointments of Quique Setien and Pacheta, leading to a period of tactical drift and a concerning slide down the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1260\" height=\"708\" class=\"wp-image-250282 has-webp lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;max-width: 1260px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Marcelino has returned to one of the club&#039;s he made his reputation at.\" data-src=\"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/marcelino-qefad.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In this moment of crisis, Villarreal opted for a familiar, albeit complicated, name: Marcelino Garcia Toral. The same Marcelino who had guided them to European qualification back in 2016, only to be unceremoniously sacked a week before the season started due to, let\u2019s just say, <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">differences in opinion<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> with the players and Roig\u2019s board.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The On-Pitch Evolution: Marcelino\u2019s Tactical Flexibility<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Marcelino, for much of his career, has been seen as a staunch 4-4-2 evangelist and a coach whose tactical playbook was based on defensive solidity and direct transitions. At Villarreal this season, Marcelino opted to mold his philosophy to the talent at hand rather than rigidly forcing square pegs into round holes. He hasn\u2019t entirely abandoned his principles, but he has certainly embraced a more open and attacking style.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Villarreal ended the season with 71 goals, the third-best scoring record in La Liga, behind only the usual suspects, Barcelona and Real Madrid. This offensive verve, despite a defence that was only the twelfth best in the division, was the engine of their Champions League push.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"fi\" dir=\"ltr\">1 \u2013 Top 5 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LaLigaEN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@LaLigaEN<\/a> 2024\/25 players with more goals than expected:<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8\" class=\"wp-smiley lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.0\/72x72\/1f1ea-1f1f8.png\"> Ayoze P\u00e9rez \u2013 19 goals, 12.8 xG \u2013 6.2<br \/><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8\" class=\"wp-smiley lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.0\/72x72\/1f1ea-1f1f8.png\"> Oihan Sancet \u2013 15 goals, 9.7 xG \u2013 5.3<br \/><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7\" class=\"wp-smiley lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.0\/72x72\/1f1eb-1f1f7.png\"> Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 \u2013 31 goals, 26 xG \u2013 5<br \/><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8\" class=\"wp-smiley lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.0\/72x72\/1f1ea-1f1f8.png\"> Sandro Ram\u00edrez \u2013 9 goals, 4.1 xG \u2013 4.9<br \/><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8\" class=\"wp-smiley lazyload\" style=\"height:auto;height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.0\/72x72\/1f1ea-1f1f8.png\"> Dani Olmo \u2013 10 goals, 6.5 xG \u2013 3.5<\/p>\n<p>Motivated. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oB3qyq4nKY\">pic.twitter.com\/oB3qyq4nKY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 OptaJose (@OptaJose) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OptaJose\/status\/1928157149026193713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This standout attack has a few core protagonists. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.football-espana.net\/2024\/08\/13\/signing-of-the-summer-villarreal-finalise-e4m-deal-for-euro-2024-winner\">Ayoze Perez, acquired from Real Betis last summer<\/a>, delivered the best season of his career. Not only did he manage to get shots off and finish them, but Ayoze was also very involved in Villarreal\u2019s possession sequences. Ayoze was well complemented by his striker partner Thierno Barry, with 11 goals to his name and a terrifying aerial presence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Then there\u2019s Alex Baena, the creative heart of this team, chipping in 7 goals and 9 assists. Baena also synergised quite well with his left back Sergi Cardona, another shrewd signing. Cardona was acquired from Las Palmas last summer and finished the season with 7 assists from his left back role. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What Lies Ahead: The Champions League Challenge and the Inevitable Departures<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The rumour mill, as always, is churning. Key players, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.football-espana.net\/2025\/05\/28\/atletico-madrid-agree-personal-terms-with-la-liga-star-as-club-negotiations-continue\">Baena and Barry, are already being linked with bigger clubs<\/a>. And the cold, hard fact of modern football is that success at a club of Villarreal\u2019s relative size often leads to lucrative offers for their brightest talents. Keeping hold of their core, or at least reinvesting intelligently, will remain as important as it has always been for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1536px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Villarreal CF&#039;s Top 10 Moments of the 2024\/25 Season\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SomDeChampionsVillarreal-1536x864.jpg.webp\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image via Villarreal CF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This season, the lack of European commitments allowed Marcelino and his squad to focus all their attention on La Liga. That luxury will be gone next year. Champions League football brings with it a relentless schedule, demanding deeper squads, robust rotation, and a level of physical and mental resilience that can make or break a campaign. The squad, while talented, will need to be bolstered and diversified to truly compete on both fronts.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">However, the reality is that Villarreal are used to this. Competing in Europe isn\u2019t a novelty; it\u2019s the norm for them. And if their history is any guide, the Yellow Submarine should be able to navigate European waters once again.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.football-espana.net\/2025\/06\/04\/villarreals-champions-league-return\">COLUMN: The Yellow Submarine Surfaces Again in Europe &#8211; Villarreal&#8217;s Champions League Return<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.football-espana.net\">Football Espa\u00f1a<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On the last La Liga matchday, Villarreal capped off their phenomenal campaign with a 4-2 dismantling of Sevilla. Champions League qualification was already&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=512"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":519,"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512\/revisions\/519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/yourphdbestie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}