The head coach is taking charge of his fourth season with the Mini Submarine, with whom he has passed the 100-game barrier
Miguel Álvarez, for the fourth consecutive season, is at the helm of an exciting Villarreal B project. Since his arrival at the club in the 2017/18 season, the manager has been in charge of the Mini Submarine for 108 games, with an impressive record of 46 wins, 34 draws and 28 defeats.
In his first two seasons, the Andalusian coach led Villarreal B into the promotion play-offs. Last season, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the season in mid-March, denying Álvarez’s side the chance of competing for the same objective in normal conditions.
The Mini Submarine manager each year receives a new intake of young footballers from the U19s (Juvenil A) and Villarreal C, who dream of triumphing in the first team. The main objective is forming the academy prospects, but that is without forgetting the demanding nature of competing in the tough Segunda División B Group 3: “Every year, we work with very young guys. They’re players who have a lot of talent and quality. Our aim is to make them grow and improve every day, but we are always trying to compete and to win, which is intrinsic to football. To sum it up, we try and make sure that they become ready for the first team, and that they feel that, with hard work, they can earn their place there.”
Since Álvarez first sat on the Villarreal B bench more than three years ago, 20 players from the Yellows Academy have made their first-team debuts. That is something that pleases the B-team manager, who praises everyone who makes up the Yellows Academy: “For us coaches who work in the club’s youth set-up, it’s really pleasing to see players debuting with the first team. Every coach in the Yellows Academy, from the first to the last, play an important role in this process.”
Pau Torres, Samu Chukwueze and Manu Morlanes (who is currently on loan at UD Almería) are just some of the names who have established themselves in professional football after working under Álvarez.
