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The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Marcelino, miracle man of Villarreal, takes ‘village' to Champions League
Villarreal had given everything all season when with one game left the roof fell in on them, but not like that. It had been 10 long, hard months of 'solidarity and commitment … methodology, work, honesty and dedication,' their manager said, yet this was no late lament, all that for nothing; instead, this was reward and release, 'time to enjoy it', to let go, so they did. Outside at Montjuïc, Barcelona had begun their party, even 2025's first league defeat and killjoy keeper Wojciech Szczesny saving an outrageous overhead kick from his own son not spoiling the fun; inside the dressing room, the club from the small town 200 miles south had begun theirs too, and nothing could ruin this either. Someone put La Morocha on and the players were bouncing about, drumming the rhythm on the ceiling when, in another triumph for cheap construction, the first beam came down. Captain Juan Foyth, looking like a kid who'd put a football through the neighbour's window, raised his arm to protect his teammates, quietly laid it to one side, and they carried on. The track was changed, Handel now, and they lined up. Some tipped their heads back, gazing at the ceiling they had broken. Others put hands on hearts. Most laughed. All of them scatted and sang, at least the word they knew: maybe not die meister, maybe not die besten or les grandes équipes, and definitely not eine grosse sportliche veranstaltung, but certainly the champions. The flag they carried read 'the village wants the Champions League' and now they had it. Villarreal, the team from the place whose population could fit into Montjuïc, had come to Catalonia, handed the newly crowned champions a guard of honour and then beaten them 3-2, helped by their hangovers, to secure fifth and a return to Europe's biggest competition with a week to spare. The season, Santi Comesaña said, had been 'almost perfect'. 'Back on 10 July, few people thought we would finish in the Champions League,' the manager, Marcelino García Toral, said. That wasn't actually true; plenty predicted this, or even better. Comesaña almost said as much: it was a pity, he admitted, that Villarreal can't finish fourth, which would have also given them access to the Super Cup. Instead, Athletic Club will. Only Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético have bigger budgets than Villarreal. They finished last season with two defeats in 18, then signed 10 players. No one outside the Big Two has a footballer better than Álex Baena. They had no European competition to distract them, playing a dozen games fewer than Athletic and Betis. And this isn't the first time they've qualified for the Champions League; it's the fifth. It wasn't the first time that Marcelino had, either. It's not even the first time he has with Villarreal. Maybe this time, he had joked to friends after they beat Leganés 3-0 last week, he'll actually be allowed to experience it. And that was the point. Both points, in fact. The fact that it was Marcelino was a reason to trust in Villarreal being the best of Spain's other teams. This is the man who brought Real Zaragoza from the second division to the first, took Recreativo de Huelva up and into eighth, their best-ever finish, and qualified Racing Santander for Europe the only time in their history. He turned Valencia around, finishing fourth two years running and won the cup. Then he went to two Copa del Rey finals with Athletic Club (albeit the first belonged to Gaizka Garitano, really) and won the Super Cup. And the last time he was at Villarreal, he took them from the second division to a Europa League semi-final and back into the Champions League, pride and place restored in only three years. And then they sacked him, a week before the season began. It took six years and a lot of soul searching, a lot of bridges rebuilt for Marcelino to return. It took a crisis at the club too, for them to need him and him to want to help. And that's the other point: why this felt special to him, something deeper there, why he could talk tales of the unexpected, of achievement; why Champions League qualification is healing: not just a hope for the future but a fixing of the past, all well with the world. When Villarreal sacked Marcelino in August 2016, the club's owner Fernando Roig had described it as a painful decision but one that had to be made. When they called Fran Escriba to take over, he was on his way down to get an ice-cream. He hadn't been expecting to receive a call and Villarreal hadn't expected to make one. There had been a storm after Villarreal were defeated by struggling Sporting Gijon – Marcelino's local club, the one he supports, played for, coached and is most associated with – and his wife had posted a message on social media saying 'our work here is done, we leave you in the first division'. That had hurt Roig, damaging manager and club. A divide had opened up and the relationship was tense with Roig's son, the club's CEO. In the dressing room there were difficulties too, particularly with Mateo Musacchio, Marcelino later admitting: 'There was one player with who I couldn't coexist.' When he effectively gave an ultimatum, the club chose the players over the coach. For a while, Escribá's arrival had a liberating effect: Marcelino can be demanding, overwhelming. For a time, the tension eased, the atmosphere too. He lasted a year. Javier Calleja came, was sacked, and came back again six weeks later. Unai Emery arrived as an upgrade, won the Europa League and departed for Aston Villa. Quique Setién finished fifth and then was sacked just four weeks into the following season, his lament a familiar one: the club, he felt, had chosen the dressing room. When José Rojo Martín, 'Pacheta', took over, he could hardly believe his luck but soon saw how superficial that was: there was so much talent, it wouldn't take much to be a decent team. He was gone in two months, defeated. He had won one of eight league games. It was November 2023. Over time, José Manuel Llaneza, the man who had built the club with Roig, had intervened to mend the relationship, seek some rapprochement. Slowly, they had started talking again, a little affection allowed, excuses found to contact each other. When Marcelino had a serious car crash at Christmas in 2017, that brought perspective; when Llaneza passed away in 2022, there was warmth, wounds healing. When Villarreal contacted Marcelino now – professionally this time, although this was an opportunity to make amends personally – he had escaped the crisis at Marseille and turned down Sevilla. His condition for returning was simple: we're not going to argue. 'Some people call me Marcelino,' Marcelino said at his presentation. 'Some call me Marcelino García Toral. Those who know me well tend to call me Marce. My name is not Saviour. And my surname is nor Miracles.' And, yes, Saviour Miracles – Salvador Milagros – could be a real name in Spanish. And, no, he was not. But nor was he so far off. Villarreal were 13th, they had 12 points from 12 games. Defensively they were struggling badly. There were injuries, European games adding to the strain. They were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by third-tier Unionistas in January, which was embarrassing but probably helped; there was time to train, focus turned on to stopping the bleeding. At the other end, no one provided more assists than Baena. Asked what Marcelino demands of him, Baena replied simply: 'That I don't walk.' Alexander Sørloth scored nine in the last eight weeks, 15 in the last 16. Villarreal beat Barcelona, drew with Real Madrid and lost twice in the last 18, finishing just short of a European place. Then this summer, 16 players went, a shift in group dynamics as well as style. Once that might have been a source of tension, disagreements. But lessons have been learned and this was going to be more like a Marcelino team, more his. There was a move towards athleticism, even height: direct, counterattacking, set up in 4-4-2, with one winger coming in, the other going out. Thierno Barry came for €13.5m, Logan Costa for €17m. Nicolas Pépé and Pape Gueye were free. So too Sergi Cardona; no full-back has more assists. Tea-loving Ayoze Pérez was the signing of the summer at €4m, Marcelino making him more of a centre-forward, from where he has 19 league goals. Baena, who spent 11 hours agonising over a Saudi Arabian offer in January, decided to stay: no one has created more chances. 'He is very, very, very good' Pérez says. 'The ability he has to find you is incredible; as soon as he gets the ball I just have to move and he reaches me.' Atlético Madrid 4-1 Real Betis, Barcelona 2-3 Villarreal, Celta Vigo 1-2 Rayo Vallecano, Las Palmas 0-1 Leganés, Mallorca 1-2 Getafe, Osasuna 2-0 Espanyol, Real Sociedad 3-2 Girona, Sevilla 0-2 Real Madrid, Valencia 0-1 Athletic Bilbao, Real Valladolid 0-1 Alavés. Together, they were bouncing about Montjuïc on Sunday night while Villarreal put up a tweet of their manager, standing there all AI, decked in gold holding the Champions League ball. There were no words, just his name: Salvador Milagros. 'Few thought this on 10 July, but we planned well, built well, and worked very hard,' Marcelino said. 'Last year was very difficult: we came into a complicated situation but we were convinced we could turn it around and between us all we have; I want to say thank you to everyone. A year ago, we were scared the team was going down but this is a good club, very well managed. The second half of last season our numbers were practically Champions League numbers. We did a wide restructuring and we got it right. The key is having good players who are also good people. These are the values you need to make a team … and it is always the teams that achieve their objectives. This means a lot to the staff: three times we've qualified for the Champions League, and we only got to enjoy it once. We hope we can enjoy this one.'
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Juan Foyth vs. RC Celta de Vigo – Player props & odds to score a goal on April 23
Juan Foyth vs. RC Celta de Vigo – Player props & odds to score a goal on April 23 [gambcom-standard rankid="4130" ] Believe Juan Foyth will score in Villarreal CF's upcoming match versus RC Celta de Vigo on Wednesday, April 23 at 1:00 PM ET? For anytime goalscorer odds, updated statistics and trends, see below. Villarreal took on Real Sociedad at home in its last game and the teams drew, 2-2. The Villarreal side took 13 shots, outshooting Real Sociedad by eight. Keep up with LaLiga action this season on Fubo! Juan Foyth's Odds to Score a Goal vs. RC Celta de Vigo Odds to score a goal next game: +1700 Soccer player prop odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 12:40 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. [gambcom-standard rankid="4142" ] Juan Foyth's 2024-25 Stats Thus far in 2024-25, Foyth has one LaLiga goal for Villarreal CF, but zero assists. Looking at xG (expected goals), Foyth is at 0.0, which is similar to his actual goal tally of one. So far in the 2024-25 season, he is averaging 0.5 shots per match, having attempted eight in total (two on target). Villarreal CF vs. RC Celta de Vigo Scoring Insights Villarreal is third in LaLiga in goals scored (55 overall, 1.8 per game), and Celta de Vigo is 16th in goals conceded (49 overall, 1.5 per game). With 47 goals in 32 matches, Celta de Vigo is sixth in LaLiga. On the flip side, Villarreal has conceded 42 goals in 31 games, 11th in the league. With 55 goals scored and 42 conceded, Villarreal is fifth in LaLiga in goal differential. Celta de Vigo has been outscored 49-47, and its -2 goal differential is eighth in LaLiga. Villarreal CF vs. RC Celta de Vigo Match Info Matchup: Villarreal at Celta de Vigo Villarreal at Celta de Vigo Time: 1:00 PM ET 1:00 PM ET Date: April 23, 2025 April 23, 2025 Venue: Municipal de Balaidos Municipal de Balaidos Live stream: Watch this game on ESPN+ Watch Villarreal CF vs. RC Celta de Vigo on ESPN+ More Player Props: [gambcom-standard rankid="4338" ]
Saba Yemen
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Saba Yemen
Mbappe leads Real Madrid to victory over Villarreal in La Liga
Madrid - Saba: French striker Kylian Mbappe led his Real Madrid team to a 2-1 victory over Villarreal on Saturday evening, as part of the 28th round of the Spanish Football League. Argentine defender Juan Foyth surprised the royal team with an early goal for the "Yellow Submarines" just 7 minutes after the first whistle. But French striker Kylian Mbappe hit back quickly with back-to-back goals in the 17th and 23rd minutes of the first half. The French striker also reduced the gap between him and Poland's Robert Lewandowski, who leads LaLiga with 21 goals, to just one goal, ahead of his team Barcelona's match against host Atletico Madrid tomorrow evening, Sunday, in the top match of this round of LaLiga matches. Real Madrid also won its second consecutive victory to raise its tally to 60 points and top the La Liga table, three points ahead of Barcelona, which has a postponed game in addition to its meeting tomorrow against Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Villarreal suffered their second consecutive defeat, leaving them on 44 points and in fifth place in the standings. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WATCH: Real Madrid complete comeback as Kylian Mbappe scores again
Real Madrid made a dreadful start to their La Liga clash against Villarreal, but they have now managed to get themselves into a 2-1 lead at La Ceramica. Carlo Ancelotti's side are off the back of a gruelling 120 minutes against Atletico Madrid in midweek, and that fatigue could have played its part in the opening minutes as they have fallen behind. From a corner, defender Juan Foyth was able to poke past Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from close range. Real Madrid managed to drag themselves back level soon after as Kylian Mbappe smashed home inside the penalty area, and he has now added his second of the evening a few minutes later to give Los Blancos the lead. Fine finish by Kylian Mbappé 👏 The Frenchman scores his second goal and gives Real Madrid the lead against Villarreal ⚪ 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 @SBK | 18+ | 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 — Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) March 15, 2025 KYLIAN MBAPPE SCORES AGAIN WHAT A GOAL — WolfRMFC (@WolfRMFC) March 15, 2025 MBAPPE WITH A SECOND GOAL IN SIX MINUTES TO RESTORE THE LEAD FOR MADRID 😨 — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 15, 2025 It is excellent from Mbappe, who is continuing his impressive form of the last few months. As things stand, Real Madrid will be heading to the top of La Liga, ahead of their title rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid facing off on Sunday.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aston Villa boss Emery confirms interest in Villarreal star
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has confirmed that his side are interested in bringing in Villarreal star Juan Foyth before the month is out. The name of defender Foyth has of course positioned itself front and centre in the media chatter in Spain and England alike over the course of recent days. This comes after word was forthcoming that, after missing out on a deal for Sevilla standout Loïc Badé, the aforementioned Aston Villa had turned attentions towards the Argentine. Speaking to the media in the aftermath of his side's 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Sunday, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of Foyth's potential arrival was put to Unai Emery himself. And the Spanish tactician was not shy in confirming his hopes of reuniting with the talented stopper, following their time spent together at Villarreal: 'Of course, I know Juan Foyth because I know him and one player with his quality, he can play with the performance we want to add to the squad.' 🟣🔵 Aston Villa are pushing to get Juan Foyth deal done with Emery: 'Of course, I know Juan Foyth because I know him and one player with his quality, he can play with the performance we want to add to the squad'. — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2025 Conor Laird – GSFN
