The young South Korean fan follows Villarreal CF from more than 10,000 km away and dreams of one day visiting the Estadio de la Cerámica
Passion for Villarreal CF knows no borders. From South Korea, in the province of Gyeonggi, there is a home that never misses a Submarine match, defying logic and any time-zone barrier. Park Yeong-bin is a groguet just like the thousands of fans who live only a few kilometres from the Estadio de la Cerámica. Being more than 10,000 km away from the stadium is no obstacle for Villarreal CF matches to shape his weekends.
This young South Korean fan is a university student studying Spanish at the University of Ulsan, combining his studies with small jobs related to football. His bond with Villarreal CF was born through two very special figures in the club’s history: Santi Cazorla and Bruno Soriano. For Park, the farewell match of both players marked a turning point in his relationship with the Submarine. That day, his passion for the Groguets was firmly cemented.
Just one year later, Park Yeong-bin celebrated one of the greatest achievements in Villarreal CF’s history. From his home country, he rejoiced in the historic UEFA Europa League triumph of the 2020/21 season. Watching Mario Gaspar and Raúl Albiol lift the iconic trophy of Europe’s second competition remains an unforgettable memory for the young Korean fan.
In the current squad, the player who impresses him the most is Juan Foyth, whose shirt he treasures with special affection: “I think he is a very important player for Villarreal right now and I am very grateful for his recent contract renewal.”
As for club legends, he has no doubts: “Bruno Soriano,” he says without hesitation, as the player who made him a Villarreal supporter. His shirt is especially valuable to him.
His passion for the Submarine is such that he doesn’t settle for experiencing it on his own. He has become a true Villarreal ambassador in South Korea. To share his love for these colours, Park has created what is currently the only Villarreal CF fan page in South Korea (@villarrewang_kr) on Instagram, with the aim of promoting the club in his country: “I wanted to spread the word about this team that I love. Many people support big clubs, but for me Villarreal, its people and its region have a special charm. I’m proud to promote the club in Korea.”
Although he has not yet had the chance to visit the Estadio de la Cerámica, Park is very clear that he will do so in the future. After completing his mandatory military service in South Korea, he plans to travel to Spain as an exchange student and fulfil his dream of getting to know Vila-real and watching the Submarine live: “Right now I don’t have the resources, but I hope to be able to go in the next five years.”
At Villarreal, we are sure that Vila-real and the Yellow fans will welcome him with the greatest hospitality, as one more member of the Groguet family.
