Villarreal CF

Association football club in Spain

Football club

Villarreal

Full name| Villarreal Club de Fútbol S.A.D.
Nickname(s)| El Submarino Amarillo
(The Yellow Submarine)
Founded| 10 March 1923; 102 years ago (1923-03-10)
Ground| Estadio de la Cerámica
Capacity| 23,008
President| Fernando Roig
Head coach| Marcelino
League| La Liga
2024–25| La Liga, 5th of 20
Website| villarrealcf.es

Home colours

Away colours

Third colours

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|

Current season

Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF, is a Spanish professional football club based in Villarreal, in the Castellón province of eastern Spain, that plays in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.

Founded in 1923, the club spent much time of its history in the lower divisions of Spanish football and began in La Liga in 1998. In the 21st century, Villarreal gained some league stability, although they sustained relegation in 2012, rebounding the next year and then remaining in the top division to date. The club made its first appearance in the UEFA Champions League in 2005, with its best result being the semi-finals in 2006 and 2022. Villarreal also appeared in the UEFA Europa League during this time, and won the competition in 2021 by defeating Manchester United in the final, clinching their first major trophy.

The club is nicknamed El Submarí Groguet or El Submarino Amarillo (Yellow Submarine) due to its yellow home kit, and due to being a low-profile team compared to Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, and regional rivals Valencia. They play their home games at the Estadio de la Cerámica,[1] and have been touted as an example of a small but successful club.[2]

## History

[edit]

### 1923–29: early years

[edit]

Club Deportivo Villarreal was founded on 10 March 1923 "to promote all sports especially Football." The stadium was rented for 60 pesetas a month and ticket prices were set at half a peseta for men and a quarter of a peseta for children. Women were granted free admission.[3] On 17 June 1923, Castellón, a modern rival of the club, played the first match against a club named after Miguel de Cervantes. On 21 October of that year, Villarreal played their first game ever, playing against Castellón.[3] Villarreal started off with a kit of white shirts and black shorts, reflected in their first badge.[4]

### 1929–98: time in lower divisions

[edit]

Villarreal entered regional competitions within the Spanish football pyramid from 1929 to 1930 onwards. The 1934–35 season saw the team lose to Cartagena when a win would have seen them promoted to the nationwide Second Division.[3] The following season saw Villarreal win the First Division of the region before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.[3]

When the war finished in 1939, the club played again in the Second Division of the region.[3] However, CD Villarreal was dissolved in the early 1940s, and in 1942, CA Foghetecaz, an acronym for the club's founders (Font, Gil, Herrero, Teuler, Catalá and Zaragoza), was one of several clubs established in its place. On 25 August 1947, the new club joined the Valencian Football Federation and in 1950 renamed itself as CAF Villarreal, where the F stood for Foghetecaz.[4]

The name changed again to the current Villarreal CF in June 1954, with a badge similar to the present one.[4] They finished seventh and then fourth twice in the First regional league before being promoted to the Tercera Liga (Third Nationwide) as champions in 1956. They were relegated in 1960–61 after finishing 14th.[3]

The club adopted their present badge in the middle of 1966.[4] In 1966–67, Villarreal returned to the Tercera as champions. In 1970, they reached the national Segunda for the first time.[3] After narrowly avoiding relegation in their first season, they were relegated the following season. In 1975–76, they were relegated from the Tercera to the Regionals, but were promoted back again the next season. In 1986–87, Villarreal were promoted to the Segunda Liga B.[3] In 1990, they finished 18th and were relegated back to the Tercera.

There were back-to-back promotions as the club returned to Segunda B and finished second, earning promotion to Segunda A for the first time. From 1992 to 1997, Villarreal were often in low or mid-table positions, but reached the play-offs in 1997–98 by finishing fourth.[5] The two-legged play-off was against Compostela. Villarreal hosted the first leg which was a 0–0 draw, but the second leg at the home of the Galician team was a 1–1 draw, thus Villarreal were promoted on the away goals rule.

### 1998–2012: La Liga and European debuts

[edit]

Villarreal's La Liga debut started with a match against reigning European champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on 31 August 1998 where they lost 4-1 despite taking the lead after 3 minutes.[6] The first home game was against Celta de Vigo[5] the week after. Because of a difficult season, Villarreal were relegated to the Segunda División for the 1999–2000 season, but by finishing third, they were then promoted back to the Primera División.

Arsenal FC vs Villarreal CF 2008–09 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals

After finishing seventh on their return to the Primera, Villarreal finished in 15th place for two-straight seasons.[5] Villarreal competed in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in the middle of 2002, defeating FH of Iceland, Torino of Italy, and Troyes of France. They lost in the final to compatriots Málaga, 2–1 on aggregate.[7]

In the middle of 2003, they defeated the Dutch team Heerenveen in the final of the Intertoto Cup, thereby qualifying for the UEFA Cup. In their major European debut, Villarreal reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, losing to neighbours and eventual champions Valencia. In the league, Villarreal finished in eighth place. In the middle of 2004, Villarreal retained the Intertoto Cup, beating compatriots Atlético Madrid on penalties after the final finished 2–2 on aggregate. This qualified them to the UEFA Cup. They lost in the quarter-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup to Dutch side AZ, losing 3–2 on aggregate. During the same season, Villarreal finished in third place in La Liga, earning the club their first direct qualification to a European tournament, the Champions League. The club's centre-forward Diego Forlán won the Pichichi Trophy for top scorer in the league, with 25 goals.

Villarreal defeated the English Premier League's Everton in a play-off for the Champions League group stages. The group saw Villarreal go undefeated, drawing both games against Manchester United and achieving a draw and a win each against Lille of France and Benfica of Portugal. The win over Benfica was away and both teams advanced to the last 16.[8]

The club then drew 3–3 against Rangers of Scotland in the Last 16, advancing on away goals due to a 2–2 draw at Ibrox. In the quarter-finals, Villarreal beat Internazionale on away goals after finishing 2–2 on aggregate. The club bowed out in the semi-finals against Arsenal, losing 1–0 away at Highbury. Juan Román Riquelme had a penalty saved by Jens Lehmann in the home game, which finished 0–0. Arsenal went on to lose in the final in Paris to another Spanish club, Barcelona. Villarreal finished seventh in La Liga, which only earned an Intertoto Cup position.

Chart of Villarreal CF league performance 1929–present

Villarreal contested the Intertoto Cup in the middle of 2006 and was knocked out in its first game, to Maribor of Slovenia. The first leg was lost 2–1 at home and the away game was a 1–1 draw.[9] The team finished 5th in La Liga and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Villarreal gained their best-ever league position in 2008, finishing second to Real Madrid by eight points, and also reached the last 32 in that season's UEFA Cup. After defeating BATE Borisov of Belarus in a play-off, the team won Group C unbeaten.[10] Their group opponents were Fiorentina of Italy, Mladá Boleslav of Czech Republic, IF Elfsborg of Sweden, and AEK Athens of Greece.

In the last 32, Villarreal were defeated by eventual champions Zenit Saint Petersburg, losing the first leg 1–0 in Russia to a Pavel Pogrebnyak goal. The second leg was won 2–1 by Villarreal at El Madrigal, but Zenit advanced on away goals.

The club automatically qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League by finishing second in La Liga the previous season. They drew Manchester United, for the second consecutive campaign, Celtic, and Aalborg BK. They made a good start by holding current European champions Manchester United to a goal-less draw at Old Trafford, a third 0–0 draw in a row against the English giants. A first win was sealed on 30 September by beating Gordon Strachan's Celtic 1–0 at El Madrigal, courtesy of a Marcos Senna free-kick. On 21 October, during a Champions League match against Aalborg, they scored six goals to three. The Spaniards went through to the knock-out stage after drawing 2–2 with Aalborg in Denmark and drawing goalless once again against Manchester United. In the last group stage match, they lost to an already-eliminated Celtic.

In the knock-out stage, they faced Panathinaikos, who left Villarreal with a 1–1 away advantage, but lost 1–2 in Athens. Villarreal reached the quarter-finals for the second time in two attempts, and were once again paired with Arsenal. The first leg saw a 1–1 draw by a Marcos Senna free kick, equalised by an Emmanuel Adebayor volley. Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Robin van Persie secured a 3–0 win for Arsenal on the return, knocking Villarreal out of the tournament.

Real Madrid vs. Villarreal in 2011

Despite finishing outside of a European qualifying spot in the domestic league, Villarreal was given a place in the qualifying round of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League after UEFA determined that Mallorca's financial irregularities precluded them from taking part in the tournament.

A 5–0 home win and a 2–1 away win against Dnepr Mogilev qualified them for the group stage. Villarreal suffered an early setback following a shock 2–0 loss in their away fixture against Dinamo Zagreb. Despite this, however, later wins against Dinamo, Club Brugge and PAOK saw them top their group.

After beating Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen and Twente in the knockout phases, Villarreal qualified for the semi-finals to face tournament favourites Porto. After Villarreal took a 0–1 lead at the Estádio do Dragão, Porto made a remarkable turnaround that ended in a 5–1 defeat for Villarreal. Although Villarreal won the second leg 3–2, Porto's first leg goal total saw them advance to the final on aggregate, where they beat Braga to be crowned champions. Giuseppe Rossi finished as the tournament's second top goalscorer with 11 goals, behind Porto's Radamel Falcao.

### 2012–present: relegation and European glory

[edit]

Last match of the 2012–13 season game against UD Almería. Finally, Villarreal won and were promoted to La Liga. Deportivo de La Coruña vs. Villarreal C. F.

On 13 May 2012, Villarreal were relegated from La Liga after defeat to Atlético Madrid. Following a horrendous season, the club suffered a shattering tragedy when Manolo Preciado, appointed as Villarreal's new manager on 6 June 2012, died of a heart attack later that day.[11] Following their relegation, there was a mass exodus of players at the club, with star players such as Borja Valero, Diego López, Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar leaving the side.[12]

After one year in the Segunda División, Villarreal were promoted back to La Liga on the final day of the season after finishing the year second after champions Elche. The team began its new tenure in the top flight by winning its first three games; the winning streak ended with a tie against Real Madrid at El Madrigal, though the team was undefeated until falling to Real Betis 1–0 on the seventh matchday of the season. The Yellow Submarine finished the 2013–14 campaign in sixth, thus qualifying them for next season's Europa League.

In 2014–15, Villarreal again finished the year in sixth, enough to secure direct qualification to the Europa League group stage. In the 2015–16 season, Villarreal led La Liga for the first time during the sixth and seventh weeks, before falling to fifth place the following week. The club ended the season in 4th place and thus advanced to the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League playoff round. The club progressed to the semi-finals of the 2015–16 Europa League, but were knocked out by Liverpool. Villarreal won the first leg 1–0, but lost 3–0 in Liverpool and 3–1 on aggregate.[13]

In 2019–20, Villarreal finished fifth, earning a place in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League. The team went on a memorable run, advancing to the final after knocking out Arsenal 2–1 on aggregate. Facing favoured Manchester United, Villarreal held them to a 1–1 draw after extra time and then won 11–10 in a penalty shoot-out,[14] winning the club's first ever major trophy. Domestically, they finished seventh, supposedly qualifying for the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League. However, courtesy of their triumph, Villarreal switched their next year's participation in the inaugural Conference League to the 2021–22 Champions League.[15][16][17]

At the start of the 2021–22 season, Villarreal competed in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea in Belfast, which ended a 1–1 draw after extra time, but Chelsea managed to win 6–5 in the penalty shootout as captain Raúl Albiol saw his penalty saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. That same season, Villarreal progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League after knocking out Juventus in the round of 16 and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, before losing 5–2 on aggregate to Liverpool.[18]

## Rivalries

[edit]

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Villarreal has supported a long rivalry with Castellón for geographical reasons since both are from the province of Castellón, with players even being threatened for transferring from one club to the other.[19] They also rival Valencia since the two have been the most competitive teams of the Valencian Community; this clash is called the "Derbi de la Comunitat"[20] and has been heightened "since the Submarine won the race against his eternal rival and claimed the role of favourites in each encounter".[21]

## Records

[edit]

* Villarreal's biggest league win at home was by a five-goal margin, achieved on four occasions. The club recorded 5–0 home victories against Salamanca (1998–99 La Liga), Celta Vigo (2002–03 and 2016–17 La Liga), and Tenerife (2009–10 La Liga). The most goals Villarreal scored in a league game was six, in a 6–3 home win against Racing Santander during the 2003–04 La Liga season.[22]
* The club's largest away league wins were a 5–1 victory at Las Palmas during the 2000–01 La Liga season, a 4–0 victory at Real Sociedad in the same division during the 2004–05 season, and 4–0 and 5–1 victories at Celta Vigo and Levante, respectively, both during the 2020–21 La Liga season.[22]
* The club's first major trophy was won in 2021 with a penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.[23]

## Club colours

[edit]

El Madrigal, now renamed Estadio de la Cerámica

The club's famous yellow kit dates back to 1947. With the new season fast approaching, the son of the then Villarreal president travelled to Valencia to purchase replacements of the club's official kit of white shirts and black shorts. Discovering that the shop had neither in stock, he instead bought the only color that they did have, which happened to be yellow. The players agreed that the shirts were suitable, although they weren't keen on the black shorts, so the president's son travelled to Castellón and purchased a batch of white shorts. The players voted that they should be dyed blue.[24] After remaining as the club's official kit for some time, the yellow shirts and blue shorts combination was last worn in the 2002–03 season, and the club has since sported all-yellow kits.[25] Away colours have been navy blue.

From 2005 to 30 June 2011, the shirt sponsor was "Aeroport Castello", an airport. The current shirt sponsor is Pamesa, a ceramics company. From the 2016–17 season, the kit has been made by the Spanish company Joma, having previously been produced by the Chinese company Xtep and Puma of Germany, among others.

## Honours

[edit]

### Domestic

[edit]

* Tercera División
* Winners: 1969–70

### European

[edit]

* UEFA Europa League
* Winners: 2020–21
* UEFA Intertoto Cup
* Winners: 2003, 2004

## Season to season

[edit]

| Season  | Tier  | Division  | Place  | Copa del Rey

|
|
|
|

1947–48  | 5  | 2ª Reg. | 6th  |
1948–49  | 5  | 2ª Reg. | 4th  |
1949–50  | 5  | 2ª Reg. | 1st  |
1950–51  | 5  | 2ª Reg. | 1st  |
1951–52  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 7th  |
1952–53  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 4th  |
1953–54  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 2nd  |
1954–55  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 2nd  |
1955–56  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 1st  |
1956–57 | 3  | 3ª | 8th  |
1957–58 | 3  | 3ª | 5th  |
1958–59 | 3  | 3ª | 6th  |
1959–60 | 3  | 3ª | 12th  |
1960–61 | 3  | 3ª | 14th  |
1961–62  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 14th  |
1962–63  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 15th  |
1963–64  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 6th  |
1964–65  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 3rd  |
1965–66  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 3rd  |
1966–67  | 4  | 1ª Reg. | 1st  |
| Season  | Tier  | Division  | Place  | Copa del Rey

|
|
|
|

1967–68 | 3  | 3ª | 3rd  |
1968–69 | 3  | 3ª | 9th  |
1969–70 | 3  | 3ª | 1st  | Third round
1970–71 | 2  | 2ª | 16th  | Round of 32
1971–72 | 2  | 2ª | 17th  | Fourth round
1972–73 | 3  | 3ª | 12th  | Third round
1973–74 | 3  | 3ª | 12th  | Third round
1974–75 | 3  | 3ª | 8th  | Third round
1975–76 | 3  | 3ª | 13th  | Second round
1976–77  | 4  | Reg. Pref. | 2nd  |
1977–78 | 4  | 3ª | 15th  | First round
1978–79 | 4  | 3ª | 13th  | Second round
1979–80 | 4  | 3ª | 9th  | Third round
1980–81 | 4  | 3ª | 16th  | First round
1981–82 | 4  | 3ª | 7th  |
1982–83 | 4  | 3ª | 14th  |
1983–84 | 4  | 3ª | 13th  |
1984–85 | 4  | 3ª | 14th  |
1985–86 | 4  | 3ª | 6th  |
1986–87 | 4  | 3ª | 3rd  | Fourth round
| Season  | Tier  | Division  | Place  | Copa del Rey

|
|
|
|

1987–88 | 3  | 2ª B | 2nd  | Second round
1988–89 | 3  | 2ª B | 4th  | First round
1989–90 | 3  | 2ª B | 18th  |
1990–91 | 4  | 3ª | 2nd  | Second round
1991–92 | 3  | 2ª B | 2nd  | Second round
1992–93 | 2  | 2ª | 13th  | Quarter-finals
1993–94 | 2  | 2ª | 16th  | Fifth round
1994–95 | 2  | 2ª | 10th  | Fourth round
1995–96 | 2  | 2ª | 15th  | First round
1996–97 | 2  | 2ª | 10th  | Third round
1997–98 | 2  | 2ª | 4th  | First round
1998–99 | 1  | 1ª | 18th  | Round of 16
1999–2000 | 2  | 2ª | 3rd  | Round of 16
2000–01 | 1  | 1ª | 7th  | Round of 32
2001–02 | 1  | 1ª | 15th  | Quarter-finals
2002–03 | 1  | 1ª | 15th  | First round
2003–04 | 1  | 1ª | 8th  | Round of 16
2004–05 | 1  | 1ª | 3rd  | Second round
2005–06 | 1  | 1ª | 7th  | Round of 16
2006–07 | 1  | 1ª | 5th  | Round of 16
| Season  | Tier  | Division  | Place  | Copa del Rey

|
|
|
|

2007–08 | 1  | 1ª | 2nd  | Quarter-finals
2008–09 | 1  | 1ª | 5th  | Round of 32
2009–10 | 1  | 1ª | 7th  | Round of 16
2010–11 | 1  | 1ª | 4th  | Quarter-finals
2011–12 | 1  | 1ª | 18th  | Round of 32
2012–13 | 2  | 2ª | 2nd  | Second round
2013–14 | 1  | 1ª | 6th  | Round of 16
2014–15 | 1  | 1ª | 6th  | Semi-finals
2015–16 | 1  | 1ª | 4th  | Round of 16
2016–17 | 1  | 1ª | 5th  | Round of 16
2017–18 | 1  | 1ª | 5th  | Round of 16
2018–19 | 1  | 1ª | 14th  | Round of 16
2019–20 | 1  | 1ª | 5th  | Quarter-finals
2020–21 | 1  | 1ª | 7th  | Quarter-finals
2021–22 | 1  | 1ª | 7th  | Round of 32
2022–23 | 1  | 1ª | 5th  | Round of 16
2023–24 | 1  | 1ª | 8th  | Round of 32
2024–25 | 1  | 1ª | 5th  | Second round
2025–26 | 1  | 1ª |  | TBD

* 26 seasons in La Liga
* 10 seasons in Segunda División
* 4 seasons in Segunda División B
* 23 seasons in Tercera División

## In Europe

[edit]

Main article: Villarreal CF in European football

The team bus

Accurate as of 14 March 2024
Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W%

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

UEFA Champions League | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 51 | 56 | −5  | 030.43
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 134 | 77 | 31 | 26 | 237 | 137 | +100  | 057.46
UEFA Europa Conference League | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 13 | +8  | 060.00
UEFA Intertoto Cup | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 32 | 16 | +16  | 050.00
UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0  | 000.00
Total | 215 | 109 | 57 | 49 | 342 | 223 | +119  | 050.70

### UEFA club coefficient ranking

[edit]

As of 22 May 2025[26]
Rank | Team | Points

|
|

15 |  Benfica | 87.750
16 |  Atalanta | 82.000
17 |  Villarreal | 82.000
18 |  Porto | 79.750
19 |  Milan | 78.000

## Nickname and mascot

[edit]

The team is nicknamed El Submarino Amarillo (the Yellow Submarine) because of their yellow strip. The mascot (named Groguet, "Little Yellow") is characterised as an anthropomorphic submarine. He made his debut on 26 October 2001 and was named on 13 December that year by a local 12-year-old, Javier Fuster Almela, following a province-wide competition open to under-15s.[27]

## Players

[edit]

### Current squad

[edit]

As of 10 August 2025.[28]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

1  | GK |  BRA | Luiz Júnior
2  | DF |  CPV | Logan Costa
3  | DF |  ESP | Rafa Marín (on loan from Napoli)
5  | DF |  FRA | Willy Kambwala
6  | MF |  ESP | Denis Suárez
7  | FW |  ESP | Gerard Moreno (vice-captain)
8  | DF |  ARG | Juan Foyth (3rd captain)
9  | FW |  CAN | Tajon Buchanan
10  | MF |  ESP | Dani Parejo (captain)
11  | FW |  MAR | Ilias Akhomach
13  | GK |  ESP | Diego Conde
14  | MF |  ESP | Santi Comesaña
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

15  | DF |  URU | Santiago Mouriño
18  | MF |  SEN | Pape Gueye
19  | FW |  CIV | Nicolas Pépé
20  | MF |  ESP | Alberto Moleiro
21  | FW |  ESP | Yéremy Pino
22  | FW |  ESP | Ayoze Pérez
23  | DF |  ESP | Sergi Cardona
24  | DF |  ESP | Alfonso Pedraza (4th captain)
26  | DF |  ESP | Pau Navarro
-- | MF |  GHA | Thomas Partey

### Reserve team

[edit]

Main articles: Villarreal CF B, Villarreal CF C, and Villarreal CF (youth)

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

27  | DF |  CIV | Jean Ives Valou
28  | FW |  MLI | Mahamoud Barry
29  | FW |  CMR | Etta Eyong
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

32  | MF |  SEN | Alassane Diatta
55  | GK |  ESP | Rubén Gómez

### Other players under contract

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

-- | DF |  ESP | Adrià Altimira
-- | MF |  ESP | Carlo García
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

-- | FW |  ESP | Pau Cabanes

### Out on loan

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

-- | DF |  ESP | Carlos Romero (at Espanyol until 30 June 2026)
-- | MF |  ESP | Dani Requena (at Córdoba until 30 June 2026)
-- | MF |  ESP | Ramon Terrats (at Espanyol until 30 June 2026)
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

-- | MF |  ARG | Thiago Ojeda (at Cultural Leonesa until 30 June 2026)
-- | FW |  ESP | Álex Forés (at Oviedo until 30 June 2026)

## Player records

[edit]

### Most appearances

[edit]

Competitive, professional matches only. Bold indicates player is still active at club level.

As of 26 August 2024.

| Rank  | Player  | Apps | League apps  | Period  | Nationality

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Manu Trigueros | 477 | 366 | 2012–2024 |  Spain
2  | Bruno Soriano | 425  | 324  | 2006–2020  |  Spain
3  | Mario Gaspar | 424  | 337  | 2009–2022  |  Spain
4  | Marcos Senna | 363  | 292  | 2002–2013  |  Spain
5  | Santi Cazorla | 334  | 251  | 2003–2006
2007–2011
2018–2020  |  Spain
6  | Cani | 327  | 259  | 2006–2014  |  Spain
7  | Rodolfo Arruabarrena | 284  | 219  | 2000–2007  |  Argentina
8  | Gerard Moreno | 281  | 213  | 2012–2013
2014–2015
2018–present |  Spain
9  | Pascual Donat | 267  | 237  | 1992–2000  |  Spain
10  | Jaume Costa | 267  | 211  | 2012–2019
2020–2021  |  Spain

### Goalscorers

[edit]

Competitive, professional matches only. Bold indicates player is still active at club level.

As of 26 August 2024.

| Rank  | Player  | Goals  | League goals  | Period  | Nationality

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Gerard Moreno | 120 | 88  | 2012–2013
2014–2015
2018–present |  Spain
2  | Adriano García | 106  | 98 | 1986
1988–1991
1991–1993  |  Spain
3  | Giuseppe Rossi | 82  | 54  | 2007–2013  |  Italy
4  | José Forment | 72  | 65  | 1974–1979  |  Spain
5  | Diego Herrero | 62  | 55  | 1971–1973
1974–1977
1980–1981  |  Spain
6  | Diego Forlán | 59  | 54  | 2004–2007  |  Uruguay
7  | Santi Cazorla | 57  | 40  | 2003–2006
2007–2011
2018–2020  |  Spain
8  | Cédric Bakambu | 48  | 32  | 2015–2018  |  Democratic Republic of the Congo
9  | Juan Román Riquelme | 45  | 36  | 2003–2007  |  Argentina
10  | Víctor | 44  | 39  | 2000–2004  |  Spain

## Current technical staff

[edit]

Position  | Staff

|

Head coach |  Marcelino
Assistant coach |  Rubén Uría
Technical assistant |  Sergio García
Goalkeeping coach |  Borja Fernández
Marc Ramírez
Fitness coach |  Ismael Fernández
Mario Segarra
Analyst |  Bruno Uría
Pablo Manzanet
Pepe Alcaide
Pier Luis
Miguel Ángel Muñoz
Delegate |  Xisco Nadal
Director of medical services |  Héctor Usó
Doctor/Medical Services |  Enrique Soriano
Nurse/Medical Services |  Sergio Broceño
Physiotherapist |  Axel Tirado
Josep Rochera
Nacho Fornás
Salva Bartomeu
Ferran Romero
Josep Caballero
Rehab fitness coach |  Alberto Torres
José Luis Villarroya
Adrián Beltrán
Massage therapist |  Juan Hernández
Field delegate |  Luis Jiménez
Equipment manager |  Adrián Ortells
Jorge Garrido
Sporting director |  Jorge Rodríguez

Last updated: September 2022
Source: Villarreal CF

## Coaches

[edit]

* Osman Bendezu (1 July 1992 – 15 March 1993)
* Carlos Simón Server (18 March 1993 – 26 February 1995)
* Fidel Uriarte (27 February 1995 – 29 October 1995)
* David Vidal (5 November 1995 – 30 June 1996)
* Javier Subirats (1 July 1996 – 27 January 1997)
* José Antonio Irulegui (2 February 1997 – 31 May 1999)
* Paquito (1 June 1999 – 30 June 1999)
* Joaquín Caparrós (1 July 1999 – 4 October 1999)
* Paquito (5 October 1999 – 30 June 2000)
* Víctor Muñoz (1 July 2000 – 11 September 2002)
* Benito Floro (17 September 2002 – 23 February 2004)
* Paquito (24 February 2004 – 30 June 2004)
* Manuel Pellegrini (1 July 2004 – 30 June 2009)
* Ernesto Valverde (1 July 2009 – 31 January 2010)
* Juan Carlos Garrido (1 February 2010 – 21 December 2011)
* José Francisco Molina (22 December 2011 – 18 March 2012)
* Miguel Ángel Lotina (19 March 2012 – 1 June 2012)
* Julio Velázquez (1 July 2012 – 13 January 2013)
* Marcelino (15 January 2013 – 10 August 2016)
* Fran Escribá (11 August 2016 – 25 September 2017)
* Javier Calleja (25 September 2017 – 10 December 2018)
* Luis García (10 December 2018 – 29 January 2019)
* Javier Calleja (29 January 2019 – 20 July 2020)
* Unai Emery (23 July 2020 – 24 October 2022)
* Quique Setién (25 October 2022 – 5 September 2023)
* Pacheta (9 September 2023 – 10 November 2023)
* Marcelino (13 November 2023 – present)

## Women's football

[edit]

Further information: Villarreal CF (women)

## See also

[edit]

* Villarreal CF B – Second team currently in the Primera Federación
* Villarreal CF C – Third team currently in the Tercera Federación
* List of Villarreal CF players

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jones, Rich (9 February 2019). "We ranked the top 10 stadium in La Liga – with a surprise No. 1". mirror. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
2. ^ Mark Elkington (14 May 2012). "Villarreal relegated in dramatic finale to La Liga". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
4. ^ a b c d "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
5. ^ a b c "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
6. ^ "Real Madrid vs Villarreal - La Liga 1999: all the info, lineups and events". besoccer.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
7. ^ "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
8. ^ "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
9. ^ "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
10. ^ "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
11. ^ "Manuel Preciado dies suddenly at 54". ESPN. Associated Press. 7 June 2012. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
12. ^ "Rossi, Nilmar, Zapata & the Villarreal players who could leave in fire sale at El Madrigal this summer - Goal.com". Goal. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
13. ^ "Liverpool v Villarreal". UEFA. 5 May 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
14. ^ "Manchester United lose Europa League final as Villarreal win penalty shootout after David de Gea miss". Evening Standard. London. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
15. ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Champions League". UEFA. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
16. ^ Johnson, Dale (6 July 2021). "UEFA Europa Conference League: All you need to know". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
17. ^ "Villarreal make it five Spanish clubs in 2021/22 Champions League". MARCA. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
18. ^ "Liverpool survive scare in Spain to reach final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
19. ^ https://cadenaser.com/comunitat-valenciana/2025/06/27/iker-punzano-denuncia-acoso-en-redes-sociales-tras-su-salida-del-castellon-al-villarreal-radio-castellon/
20. ^ https://www.lasprovincias.es/valenciacf/villarreal-valencia-horario-20221229120851-nt.html
21. ^ https://www.levante-emv.com/deportes/2022/12/28/vidas-cruzadas-villarreal-valencia-80439417.html
22. ^ a b "Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial". Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
23. ^ "Villarreal 1–1 Manchester United (aet, 11–10 pens): Spanish side win Europa League in marathon shoot-out". UEFA. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
24. ^ Ball, Phil (2003). Morbo The Story of Spanish Football. London: Perseverance Works. ISBN 978-0-9540134-6-2
25. ^ "Villarreal CF". Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
26. ^ "UEFA 5-year Club Ranking 2025". UEFA. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
27. ^ "Historia de la mascota". Villarreal C.F. – Web Oficial. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
28. ^ "First team squad". Villarreal CF. 5 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Villarreal CF.

* Official website (in Spanish, Catalan, and English)
* Villarreal CF at La Liga (in English and Spanish)
* Villarreal CF at UEFA (in English and Spanish)

* v
* t
* e

Villarreal Club de Fútbol

* History
* Players
* Managers
* Seasons
* In European football
* Statistics
* Honours
* Current season

Teams|

* Villarreal CF
* Villarreal B
* Villarreal C
* Villarreal Juvenil
* Villarreal Femenino

Home stadium|

* Estadio de la Cerámica

Training ground|

* Ciudad Deportiva Villarreal CF

Rivalries|

* Derbi de la Comunitat

Seasons|

* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–2000
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* B-team
* 2024–25

Matches|

* 2021 UEFA Europa League final
* 2021 UEFA Super Cup

Related articles|

* Yellow Submarine
* CD Roda
* CD Onda

* Category
* Category

* v
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* e

La Liga

2025–26 clubs|

* Alavés
* Athletic Bilbao
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* Celta Vigo
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* Mallorca
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* Oviedo
* Rayo Vallecano
* Real Madrid
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Former clubs|

| Active|

* Albacete
* Alcoyano
* Almería
* Arenas Getxo
* Cádiz
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* Compostela
* Córdoba
* Cultural Leonesa
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* Europa
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* Murcia
* Numancia
* Pontevedra
* Racing Santander
* Real Unión
* Recreativo Huelva
* Sabadell
* Sporting Gijón
* Tenerife
* Xerez
* Valladolid
* Zaragoza

|

Defunct|

* AD Almería
* Atlético Tetuán
* Burgos
* Condal
* Extremadura
* Lleida
* CD Logroñés
* CD Málaga
* CP Mérida
* Real Burgos
* Salamanca

Competition|

* Clubs
* Seasons & winners
* Relegation play-offs
* Players
* foreign
* Managers
* Winners
* Stadia
* Broadcasters
* Referees

Statistics and awards|

* Records
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* All-time table
* La Liga Awards
* List of La Liga top scorers
* Marca Awards
* Di Stéfano: Best Player
* Pichichi: Top Scorer
* Zarra: Spanish Top Scorer
* Zamora: Best Goalkeeper
* Miguel Muñoz: Best Manager
* Guruceta: Best referee
* Don Balón Award
* Player of the Month
* Manager of the Month
* Goal of the Month
* Save of the Month

Finances|

* Richest clubs:
* Deloitte list
* Forbes' list
* Team owners

Associated competitions|

* Supercopa de España
* Copa del Rey
* UEFA Champions League
* UEFA Europa League
* UEFA Conference League

* v
* t
* e

UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League winners

UEFA Cup era, 1971–2009

1970s|

* 1971–72: Tottenham Hotspur
* 1972–73: Liverpool
* 1973–74: Feyenoord
* 1974–75: Borussia Mönchengladbach
* 1975–76: Liverpool
* 1976–77: Juventus
* 1977–78: PSV Eindhoven
* 1978–79: Borussia Mönchengladbach
* 1979–80: Eintracht Frankfurt

1980s|

* 1980–81: Ipswich Town
* 1981–82: IFK Göteborg
* 1982–83: Anderlecht
* 1983–84: Tottenham Hotspur
* 1984–85: Real Madrid
* 1985–86: Real Madrid
* 1986–87: IFK Göteborg
* 1987–88: Bayer Leverkusen
* 1988–89: Napoli
* 1989–90: Juventus

1990s|

* 1990–91: Internazionale
* 1991–92: Ajax
* 1992–93: Juventus
* 1993–94: Internazionale
* 1994–95: Parma
* 1995–96: Bayern Munich
* 1996–97: Schalke 04
* 1997–98: Internazionale
* 1998–99: Parma
* 1999–2000: Galatasaray

2000s|

* 2000–01: Liverpool
* 2001–02: Feyenoord
* 2002–03: Porto
* 2003–04: Valencia
* 2004–05: CSKA Moscow
* 2005–06: Sevilla
* 2006–07: Sevilla
* 2007–08: Zenit Saint Petersburg
* 2008–09: Shakhtar Donetsk

UEFA Europa League era, 2009–present

2000s|

* 2009–10: Atlético Madrid

2010s|

* 2010–11: Porto
* 2011–12: Atlético Madrid
* 2012–13: Chelsea
* 2013–14: Sevilla
* 2014–15: Sevilla
* 2015–16: Sevilla
* 2016–17: Manchester United
* 2017–18: Atlético Madrid
* 2018–19: Chelsea
* 2019–20: Sevilla

2020s|

* 2020–21: Villarreal
* 2021–22: Eintracht Frankfurt
* 2022–23: Sevilla
* 2023–24: Atalanta
* 2024–25: Tottenham Hotspur

* Finals
* Winning managers

* v
* t
* e

UEFA Intertoto Cup winners

1995–2005|

* 1995: Bordeaux
* Strasbourg
* 1996: Karlsruhe
* Silkeborg
* Guingamp
* 1997: Auxerre
* Bastia
* Lyon
* 1998: Bologna
* Valencia
* Werder
* 1999: Juventus
* West Ham United
* Montpellier
* 2000: Celta
* Stuttgart
* Udinese
* 2001: Paris Saint-Germain
* Troyes
* Aston Villa
* 2002: Málaga
* Stuttgart
* Fulham
* 2003: Villarreal
* Perugia
* Schalke 04
* 2004: Villarreal
* Lille
* Schalke 04
* 2005: Hamburg
* Marseille
* Lens

2006–2008|

* 2006: Newcastle United
* 2007: Hamburg
* 2008: Braga

* Winning managers

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[No.]: Number
*[Pos.]: Position
*[GK]: Goalkeeper
*[DF]: Defender
*[MF]: Midfielder
*[FW]: Forward
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