Villarreal CF, who on August 2nd will play in Argentina, has had 34 players of this nationality
Villarreal CF will play in Argentina for the first time next Wednesday, 2nd August (Thursday 3rd August in Europe). The Yellow Submarine will play a historic friendly match against Boca Juniors at La Bombonera Stadium. The match will celebrate the recent 66th league title won by the Argentinian club.
Villarreal and Argentina have always had a special connection. Up to 34 players of Argentinean nationality have worn the Yellow shirt Submarine throughout the club’s 94 years of history, 28 of which have been under President Fernando Roig.
The first was Salgado, who defended the club’s colours during the 1959-60 season when the Yellows played in the Third Division. Since then, 33 other compatriots have worn Yellow. Players such as Diego Cagna, Martín Palermo, Rodolfo Martín ‘El Vasco’ Arruabarrena, Juan Román Riquelme, Juampi Sorín, Juan Antonio ‘Pizzi’, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Guille Franco and Ariel Ibagaza have all played at the Estadio de la Cerámica (formerly known as the El Madrigal stadium). The most recent have been Mateo Musacchio, who was transferred to AC Milan for the upcoming season, goalkeeper Mariano Barbosa, who still plays for the Submarine, and the young, talented midfielder Leo Suárez.
List of Argentinean players who have played for Villarreal CF are (in brackets: division the First Team was in and the season the player came to the club):
- Salgado (3rd, 59-60).
- Sará (3rd, 60-61).
- Medina (3rd, 75-76).
- Vizcaíno (3rd, 75-76).
- Miguel Ángel Monllor (3rd, 85-86).
- Javier Claut (2nd, 95-96).
- Walter Gaitán (1st, 98-99).
- Diego Cagna (2nd, 99-2000).
- Rodolfo Arruabarrena (1st, 2000-01).
- Gustavo Barros Schelotto (1st, 2000-01).
- Bruno Marioni (1st, 2000-01).
- Martín Palermo (1st, 2000-01).
- Juan Antonio Pizzi (1st, 2001-02).
- Fabricio Coloccini (1st, 2003-04).
- Juan R. Riquelme (1st, 2003-04).
- Sebastián Battaglia (1st, 2003-04).
- Gonzalo Rodríguez (1st, 2004-05).
- Juampi Sorín (1st, 2004-05).
- Luciano Figueroa (1st, 2004-05).
- Mariano Barbosa (1st, 2005-06).
- Guillermo Franco (1st, 2005-06).
- Leandro Somoza (1st, 2006-07).
- Fabricio Fuentes (1st, 2006-07).
- Ariel Ibagaza (1st, 2008-09).
- Marco Ruben (1st, 2009-10).
- Mateo Musacchio (1st, 2009-10).
- Damián Escudero (1st, 2009-10).
- Gonzalo Castellani (1st, 11-12).
- Alejandro Martinuccio (1st, 11-12).
- Fernando Cavenaghi (2nd, 12-13).
- Héctor Canteros (2nd, 12-13).
- Nahuel Leiva (1st, 14-15).
- Luciano Vietto (1st, 14-15).
- Leo Suárez (1st, 16-17).
