Villarreal hosted The Legends’ Match on 25th March 2023. This special event, which was part of the club’s centenary celebrations, paid tribute to the former players who had represented the Yellow Submarine.
The club selected 24 of the most emblematic players in Villarreal’s history to make a team of legends and play a special match against Spain Legends. The Yellows’ team was coached by Benito Floro, and made up of 24 players:
Andrés Palop, Mariano Barbosa, Javi Venta, Igor Tasevski, Xisco Nadal, Unai Vergara, Mateo Musacchio, Fabricio Coloccini, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Juanma Peña, Joan Capdevila, Juanpi Sorín, Marcos Senna, Bruno Soriano, Josico, Héctor Font, Robert Pires, Juan Román Riquelme, Rubén Gracia Cani, Martín Palermo, Moisés García, Víctor Fernández, Guayre and Diego Forlán.
Villarreal’s top goalscorer at all levels, Adriano García, took part in the honorary kick-off of the match, which ended up as a 0-1 win for Spain. It was a realy party for the Villarreal family, who could enjoy some of the club’s best players of all time in action once more.
In the build-up to the match, former players from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and ’00s took to the pitch for a warm welcome from the fans before getting a family photo that will always be part of Villarreal CF history.
Furthermore, at half-time, the Yellows announced the players to make up the all-time Villarreal CF HISTORIC XI, chosen by fans on the club’s website:
Sergio Asenjo; Juan Foyth, Raúl Albiol, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Joan Capdevila; Juan Román Riquelme, Marcos Senna, Bruno Soriano, Santiago Cazorla; Diego Forlán, Gerard Moreno.
As a closing act, the Subamrine paid tribute to Pau Torres. The footballer from the town of Vila-real, was named Villarreal CF Flagship Player, receiving a badge made of gold and diamonds. Recognition for his achievements as a player from the town of Vila-real, as the player with most matches in the club’s history from the town, who came through the youth ranks and underlines the club’s values.
