An epic win sealed Villarreal CF’s last promotion to the second tier of Spanish football in the 1991/92 season
With LaLiga being temporary suspended, here at Villarreal CF, we’ve decided to periodically relive moments, teams and people which have stood out in the club’s history. This Wednesday, we look back on the heroes of La Línea de la Concepción, the team who got the club’s most recent promotion to Segunda División in the 1991/92 season.
28th June 1992 was one of the most important dates in Villarreal CF’s history. That was the day when the Yellow Submarine faced Balompédica Linense away on the last day of the final stage of the competition to win promotion to Segunda División, with Girona FC and Salamanca also in the stage. For the Yellows, their game was an all-or-nothing match, where the Yellows needed to win and hoped that Girona didn’t do so against UD Salamanca.
Both Villarreal and Girona went into the matchday tied on nine points ahead of their the sixth and final game of the promotion stage. However, the meeting between the two sides were favourable to the Catalan side, who depended on themselves to be promoted. Villarreal won at Montilivi (1-2), but lost 2-4 at home to Girona. That was a result that left the Submarine at the mercy of what happened on that Sunday at El Helmántico.
Villarreal, managed by Esteban Linares, lined up with the following starting XI in La Línea (in order of the photo) Guijarro, Navarro, Julio Pérez, Alcañiz, Lacalle, Reyes; and below, Planelles, Adriano, Víctor, Madueño, Estanis.
The Yellows had a good start to the match, dominating the first half. There were no goals, however, until the second half. Alcañiz put he Yellows ahead in the 52nd minute and Reyes added another in the 65th minute. Linense pulled one back ten minutes from the end, but couldn’t stop Villarreal from winning (1-2). Despite the Yellows’ win, it wasn’t all said and done.
At El Helmántico, the match between UD Salamanca and Girona FC was nearly finished. Luckily for the Yellows, an early lead for the Catalan side was soon turned around by UD Salamanca, who came away with a 2-1 win, a result which confirmed promotion for the Yellow Submarine. Villarreal CF left regional football behind them, returning to Segunda División more than 20 years later.
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