The manager from Madrid has an impressive record since returning the the Villarreal bench
This Wednesday, 29th January 2020, it is the first anniversary of the return of Javi Calleja as Villarreal CF men’s first team manager. The manager retook the reins of the Submarine and improved the Yellows’ performances in the final straight of the league season. With seven wins and five draws, Villarreal once more confirmed their place in the top flight of Spanish football by beating SD Eibar in the penultimate game of the season.
Villarreal also had a decent campaign in the UEFA Europa League, reaching the quarter-finals, after beating notable opponents, such as Sporting de Portugal and FC Zenit.
In the current season, Calleja’s side have been performing well. The Yellows are still in the Copa del Rey (playing against Rayo Vallecano today), while in LaLiga, they have 31 points from 21 games, and are in the fight to play in European competition next season.
The statistics support the hard work of the coaching staff. Since his return as manager, Villarreal have played 47 games, with a win percentage of 47%. They have also drawn 21% of those games, losing only 32% of them.
Taking into account only league ties, Calleja’s Villarreal have played 38 games since his return. In this period, as if it were a normal league season, the Yellows have taken a total of 57 points, which would have given them a place in European competition in five of the last ten LaLiga seasons (2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2018/19).
Furthermore, the statistics are backed up by the excellent run Villarreal are on. The Yellows have won seven of their last eight matches in the league and the Copa del Rey.
For the head coach, who as well as being a former player for the Yellow Submarine, took his first steps as a manager in the Yellows Academy, it’s is an honour to manage his team: “I’m very happy to manage Villarreal. Every game, we’re improving our numbers. I’m very proud because we’re a recognisable side that play football well. We want to go and we’re working hard to find different ways to help us get to the European spots and play football as best as possible.”
