Vicky Yarnold spent a year in Spain which helped her become a big Villarreal fan
Vicky Yarnold fell in love with Villarreal CF while on her year abroad at university. The University of Chester student spent a season doing an internship with the club, where she worked in the International Department, as well as helping coach one of the teams in the youth academy. “As a result of this I learned a lot about the club and became really invested in following the first team. I love the club’s values and its engagement with its supporters and within the community. Because of this I feel like I’ve developed a strong connection with the club, even having followed them for only a few seasons now,” she said.
Vicky became a regular attendee to games, both home and away: “I attended most of the home fixtures during the 2019/20 season as I had a season ticket. Match days in Vila-real are ecstatic both inside and out of the stadium. During the build-up to the game all the fans gather outside the stadium to socialise and various activities take place organised by the club. I have also travelled to a number of the away games to support the team, and I even travelled with the Official Villarreal Supporters’ Club on their organised coach trip to watch the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey against Mirandés. This was unforgettable as I received the full fan club experience, and I built some great relationships with fans who all share the same passion for the team.”
Vicky underlines her favourite moment from her time in Spain: “My best memory was when I had the opportunity to watch Villarreal play against Atlético Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. I was sat amongst the rest of the Villarreal supporters on the front row just metres from the away dugout. I felt so close to all the action and I remember the excitement when Paco Alcácer scored the first goal to put Villarreal ahead.”
Despite that, it’s Villarreal’s No.10 who is the Englishwoman’s favourite player: “My favourite Villarreal player is Vicente Iborra. I’ve been a fan of his for many years since I’ve got a personal connection with several of the previous clubs he has played at, particularly Leicester as that’s where I’m from. I feel the impact he’s had on the team in terms of his strength and leadership in the centre of the pitch has been outstanding, and prior to his recent injury he became a key member of the squad,” she added.
Vicky concluded by underlining how much she loves being part of the worldwide Yellows family: “I love being a Villarreal supporter for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is how it makes me feel like I’m part of a family. The club has fan bases from all over the world to which I feel so connected with thanks to social media.”
Here at Villarreal CF, through the #YellowsAroundTheWorld series, we will tell the stories of some of the Submarine’s biggest international fans.
