Villarreal CF secure the continuity of David Albelda, David Cifuentes and Pepe Reina
Villarreal CF have officially confirmed the renewal of the head coaches of their three main teams in the Yellows Academy. David Albelda, David Cifuentes “Cifu” and Pepe Reina have all extended their contracts with the club for one more season, ensuring stability and continued quality in the academy benches for the upcoming campaign.
The continuity of the three coaches is a reward for the excellent developmental and competitive work carried out during the past season.
David Albelda, leader of the Mini Submarine in Primera Federación
The Valencian coach will remain in charge of Villarreal B following an outstanding campaign. Albelda has shown a great ability to develop young Yellow talents in such a demanding competition as Primera Federación. Under his guidance, the first team reserve side finished the regular season in an impressive fourth place, securing a valuable play-off spot for promotion to the Segunda División, where they eventually fell after a hard-fought tie against Zamora CF.
“Cifu” to continue guiding Villarreal C
Meanwhile, David Cifuentes “Cifu” will continue as head coach of Villarreal C in Tercera Federación. The coach has enjoyed an excellent season, stabilising the team in the upper part of the table and finishing the regular campaign in fourth position. This strong performance allowed Villarreal C to qualify for the promotion play-offs, where they went down with honour, competing until the very end against Atlético Levante.
Pepe Reina extends his journey in the Yellows Academy
After hanging up his gloves and transitioning to coaching, Pepe Reina has shown the same level of commitment from the sidelines. He will continue leading the Juvenil A after a memorable season. Domestically, the team secured a third-place finish in División de Honor, earning a place in next season’s Copa del Rey Juvenil.
However, what truly defined their campaign was their remarkable run in Europe. In the UEFA Youth League, Reina’s side won five of their six league-phase matches, finishing fifth overall. They went on to produce an exciting knockout-stage run, reaching the quarter-finals, placing them among the top eight teams in Europe, before eventually being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain.
