The Villarreal CF president joined the club on 15th May 1997
Today, 15th May 2022, it is the 25th anniversary of a historic moment for Villarreal. Fernando Roig took over the presidency of the club midway through May 1997, and since then, the club hasn’t stopped growing. The agreement was made public on 15th May 1997 at the Avenida 41 restaurant, in an announcement attended by Roig, and the previous president of the club, Pascual Font de Mora.
With Roig at the helm, Villarreal achieved the greatest moment of their history, lifting the UEFA Europa League, last season. With the president leading the club, the Submarine have managed to reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on two occasions, and become a fixture in the top flight of Spanish football. Including next season, Villarreal CF will have 23 divisions behind them in the top tier in Spain.
Other big successes that Villarreal have had since Roig came to power include finishing runners-up in the league in the 2007/08 season, reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2003/04, and the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in 2010/11 and 2015/16, as well as the Copa del Rey semi-finals in 2014/15.
Not only that, but Roig’s timem also includes three promotions to the top flight of Spanish football. Roig took charge of the club as the majority shareholder in May 1997 and promised an ambitious future, wuth the intention of taking the club to the top flight in the next two years. The president fulfilled his promise, even doing so in his first season and making history. Villarreal CF were promoted to the top flight, with the whole town celebrating.
As years have gone on, both the team and the club have grown gigantically. Villarreal CF currently have two training grounds, and their stadium, the Estadio de la Cerámica, will undergo a major transformation shortly.
Out of all the presidents in LaLiga, Roig is the longest serving. Thank you, presi.
