This American fan was one of the creators of the Villarreal USA website
Nicholas Holtz, 41, is a ‘groguet’ living in Baltimore, USA. Nicholas works for the US Federal Government as a software product manager. The Villarreal CF supporter first became a football fan in 1998 and started following the club in 2005.
“I was looking for a team with a small size but a big heart,” he says, adding adds: “I was looking for a club that was personal and close to me.” This search coincided with Villarreal’s brilliant season in 2004/2005, when the club qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history.
The American ‘groguet’ was one of the creators of the Villarreal USA website. The site was created in 2008 to provide information about the club’s current activity for fans in the United States and is still active today.
Nicholas had the opportunity to visit the Estadio de la Cerámica for the first time in November 2009 to witness Villarreal’s 3-1 win over Valladolid. At that match, the ‘groguet’ also met the president Fernando Roig at half-time. For Holtz it is very difficult to choose just one player in the squad, although he admits that he has a soft spot for Samu Chukwueze. “The magic of his left foot is something different,” he adds.
As for his greatest moment as a fan of the club, Nicholas can choose none other than last season’s UEFA Europa League title. The ‘groguet’ watches the Submarine’s games from his sofa. He admits that he lives them with a lot of nerves, but from a distance he tries to send his positive energy.
From Villarreal CF, through the series Yellows Around The World we tell the stories of some of the Submarine’s biggest international fans.
