The current president of Villarreal CF joined the club on 15th May 1997
Today, 15th May 2023, marks the 26th anniversary of a historic event for Villarreal CF. Fernando Roig took over the presidency of the club in mid-May 1997 and since then the club has not stopped growing, accumulating moments of joy and overcoming disappointments. The agreement was made public on 15th May 1997 at the Avenida 41 Restaurant in the presence of Fernando Roig and the then president of the club, Pascual Font de Mora.
With Fernando Roig at the helm, Villarreal have been promoted to the top flight of Spanish football three times. Roig took the reins of the club as its maximum shareholder in May 1997 and predicted a very ambitious future, in which he intended to promote the team “within two years” to the highest category of Spanish football. The president went ahead with his promise and, in his first season in charge of the club, managed to make history. Villarreal CF achieved promotion to the top flight and unleashed the joy of the whole city.
Over the years, both the team and the club have grown by leaps and bounds. Today, Villarreal CF has two Training Grounds and the spectacular, remodelled Estadio de la Cerámica.
Fernando Roig has made Villarreal grow at a global level, not only as a team but also as a brand. Renowned signings such as Palermo, Riquelme, Forlán and Pirès, among others, led to the Submarine being recognised throughout the international football scene. In addition, other great stars emerged from the Yellows Academy, such as Bruno Soriano, Santi Cazorla and Pau Torres, among others.
Each season, the squad became more competitive. Thus, more success began to come. For example, the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in the 2005/2006 and 2021/2022 seasons, the league runners-up spot in the 2007/2008 season, the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2003/2004, the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in the 2010/2011 and 2015/2016 seasons, the Copa del Rey semi-finals in the 2014/2015 campaign and, of course, the UEFA Europa League title won in Gdansk on 26 May 2021 against Manchester United.
Counting the current season, with Fernando Roig as president, Villarreal CF has accumulated 23 seasons in the First Division, of which 18 have seen the Submarine play in European competition (16 counting the Intertoto Cup). Impressive.
Of all the top leaders of LaLiga clubs, Fernando Roig is the one who has been in office the longest. Let’s hope for many more.
