Since the arrival of the head coach, Villarreal have started to fly and are one of the best teams in LALIGA
It has been a year since Marcelino’s arrival in the dugout at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The return of the Asturian head coach aroused excitement among the Yellows’ fans, who already knew what he was capable of after a successful first spell at the Submarine, which saw them return to the top flight, qualify for the UEFA Champions League and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League and the Copa del Rey.
With the valuable endorsement of his brilliant first stint at the club, Marcelino landed in Vila-real in mid-November and with a frankly complicated situation. Aware of this, in his first appearance, he asked for time and prudence from the supporters, while promising absolute commitment and hard work to reverse the dynamic. The team was languishing towards the bottom of the table and needed a change of direction: they only had 12 points after 13 games.
The first few weeks were not easy and the Submarine struggled to get off the ground. Marcelino needed time and so did the players to adapt to what the coach wanted. Once the adaptation period was over, in mid-January, the Asturian and his coaching staff completely changed the face of the team. The Groguets enjoyed an impressive run of form, with prestigious victories at tough venues such as FC Barcelona, Real Sociedad and Real Betis, among others.
A climb began that ended with the Submarine fighting for the European places, a goal that seemed unattainable on Marcelino’s arrival. In the end, the Groguets finished eighth with 53 points after a second half worthy of getting into the UEFA Champions League.
The end of the season left a fabulous taste in the mouths of the Yellows fans, who were eagerly awaiting the competition to start again. Once again, this season, Marcelino’s team are exceeding expectations. They have found the path of regularity and are achieving great results. They are fourth, with one game in hand, having taken 24 points from 12 games, with seven wins, three draws and just two defeats. A magnificent record in the first year of the second Marcelino era.
