Villarreal (football club)

It was founded on March 10, 1923. The first president of the club was José Calduch Almela. Initially, the colors of the club were black and white (white T-shirts and black shorts), and in 1946 a decision was made to change them to yellow and blue - they remain so to this day.

The Estadio de la Ceramica stadium was commissioned on June 17, 1923, and the team played the first (friendly) match on October 21.

The club played in regional divisions until the 1955/56 season, when it secured access to the 3rd National Division, in which it played until the 1961/62 season, when the 14th position led to a downgrade and a return to the 1st Regional Division. However, Villarreal did not stay there for long and, taking the 1st place in the 1966/1967 season, ensured the transfer to the 3rd National Division. On the third attempt, the club secured a promotion from 1st place, however, it only stayed in the 2nd National Division for two years, taking 17th place in the 1971/72 season. After four not very successful seasons in the 3rd National Division, the club returned to the 1st Regional Division for the last time, staying there only for the 1976/77 season, which resulted in a promotion to Torseru again from the 1st place. In the 1986/87 season, “submariners” earned a promotion in the classroom and spent the 1987/88 - 1989/90 seasons in Segund B, from where they dropped a class lower. The 1990/91 season was the last in the 3rd National Division - according to its results, taking the 2nd place, the club moved to Segunda B, from where in transit from the 2nd place in the 1991/92 season to the Segunda (BBVA League). For five seasons, the club ranked below the middle of the BBVA League standings.

In the 1997/98 season, “submariners” took 4th place, which made it possible for the first time in 65 years to earn a ticket to the elite Spanish division through the playoff system. The first match in the Example took place on August 31, 1998 - at “ Santiago Bernabeu ” “Villarreal” lost to Madrid “ Real ” with the score 4: 1. In the debut season, such players as David Albelda , Andres Palop , Jesús García Sanjuán, Gerardo García, Romanian Craiova, played for Villarreal . Despite the successful first half of the season, as a result, Villarreal took 18th place and, losing to Sevilla in transitional matches, returned to Segunda. The club completed the 1999/2000 season in 3rd position, regaining the right to speak in the Higher National Division. For the next eleven seasons, the club ranked from 15th to 2nd place in the National Championship.

Season 2005/06

In the championship, the club took 7th place after spending the middle season. In the Spanish Cup, he could not go further 1/8 after losing to Valencia . Champions League scores were much better . In the qualification for getting into the group stage, Everton was defeated. According to the results of the draw, Villarreal ended up in Group D, where Benfica , Lille and Manchester United were his rivals. In the group, the team took first place, scoring only 3 goals and conceiving one. In the 1/8 finals, “Villarreal” was “ Rangers ” thanks to goals on the road with a total score of 3: 3. In the quarter finals, the rivals fell to the Internationale and again the victory was won only due to goals on the road, and the total score of two matches was 2: 2. For the first time in history, reaching the Champions League 1/2 final, Villarreal lost to Arsenal in the sum of two matches 1-0.

2009/10 Season

Season finished in 7th place. In the Spanish Cup, the team reached the 1/8 finals after losing to Celta . In the qualifying round of the Europa League, “Villarreal” won the club NAC Breda having won the largest victory in home games in the history of the club in the sum of two matches 6: 1, after which he got into group G where he took 2nd place and lost to Wolfsburg in 1/16 in the sum of two matches 6: 3. The season was notable for the club making its biggest deal by acquiring Nilmar from Internacional for 15 million euros, who spent 116 matches in all tournaments and scored 34 goals over 3 seasons.

Season 2011/12

At the end of the season, the club left Example , for the second time in history, having spent the worst season and finishing the championship in 18th place, having won 41 points. Before the season, the club made the biggest deal selling Santi Cazorlu to Málaga for 21 million euros. Cazorla is the fifth player in history by number of matches for Villarreal, having played 241 matches in all tournaments.

2012/13 Season

The team won 77 points and took second place at the end of the season, which allowed returning to Example. The best scorer of the season was Ikechukwu Uche , who scored 14 goals. “Villarreal” won its biggest home victory by winning against Numansia with a score of 6: 1 and also won the largest guest victory in the history of the club by defeating Mirandes with a score of 1: 5. In the winter transfer window, the best scorer in the history of the club, Giuseppe Rossi, was sold, who scored 82 goals in all tournaments for Villarreal.

The team finished the 2013/14 season in 6th place and entered the UEFA Europa League. The club’s top scorer was again recognized as Ikechukwu Uche.

Season 2014/15

The season began with a victory in the UEFA Europa League over Astana with a crushing total score of 7-0 in the total of two matches. According to the results of the draw, Villarreal was assigned to group A, where it took second place. The team finished performances in the Europa League at the 1/8 stage, losing to the future champion Sevilla . The club's top scorer in the Europa League was Luciano Vietto, who scored 6 goals. In the Example, “Villarreal” again took 6th place. The opening of the season at the club was Denis Cheryshev who gave 9 assists and scored 4 goals, and Luciano Vietto scored 12 goals became the top scorer. For the first time in the history of the Spanish Cup, the club reached the semifinals where they lost to Barcelona .

One of the main rivals of Villarreal is the Castellon football club, since both clubs represent the province of Castellon. Also important is the confrontation with Valencia . Matches between these teams are known as Derbi de la Comunitat (Provincial Derby) ^[3] .

Royal Cup

The highest achievement of “Villarreal” in the Royal Cup to date is the fourfold achievement of the quarter-finals in the seasons 1992/93, 2001/02, 2007/08 and 2010/11. In the 2014/15 season, Villarreal reached the semifinals of the Spanish Cup for the first time in history, where they lost to Barcelona.

In the summer of 2003, “submariners” won their first European trophy, beating the Dutch “ Heerenveen ” in the Intertoto Cup finals, which allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup for the 2003/04 season, where the club reached the semifinals, during which they lost to Valencia . In the summer of 2004, the club, having beaten the Atletico Madrid finals, won the Intertoto Cup again. In the 2004/05 season in the UEFA Cup, Villarreal reached the quarter finals, where they lost to the Dutch club AZ .

Third place in the Spanish Example in the 2004/05 season provided Villarreal with a ticket to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League , during which the English Everton were defeated. “Villarreal” qualified in the playoffs of the tournament from the 1st place in the group (leaving Manchester United out of the tournament), the Rangers and the International were defeated in the 1/8 and 1/4 finals respectively, however, stage 1/2 finals “submariners” lost to London “ Arsenal ”.

In the 2007/08 season, Villarreal participated in the UEFA Cup for the third time, losing at the stage of the 1/16 final to the future UEFA Cup winner Saint Petersburg Zenit (0: 1, 2: 1).

National

• Silver medalist of the Spanish Championship (1): 2007/08

Eurocups

• Champions League semi-finalist (1): 2005/06
• Semifinalist of the UEFA Cup / Europa League (3): 2003/04 , 2010/11 , 2015/16
• Intertoto Cup Winner (2): 2003, 2004

The team’s most famous nickname is El Submarino Amarillo in honor of the Beatles song of the same name, which appeared during the 1967/68 season ^[5] . The mascot of the team is a submarine named Groget (yellowish) ^[6] .

As of August 19, 2019

Players who played 100 or more matches for Villarreal were the top scorers in tournaments involving the club, and also participated in major international tournaments as part of their national teams.

• Official site (Spanish) (English)