Armando Perez: Latino Libre

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16/07/2023

Armando Pérez has today signed a three-year contract to become the new manager of Villarreal Club de Fútbol. The former manager of Málaga replaces Niko Kovac following a disappointing 2021/2022 campaign which saw El Submarí Groguet finish in 8th place last season. Pérez's weekly pay is reported to be in the region of €25,000.

Villarreal's new manager joins having recently left Málaga following a two year stint at the club which saw them win LaLiga 2 and then finish in a highly respectable 12th place in LaLiga last season. Pérez resigned from his position at the club following a breakdown in working relationship with owner José María Muñoz, who failed to provide competitive funding in the transfer market.

Pérez joins with the expectation of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and has been handed a war chest of €40,000,000, plus money from player sales, to achieve that. While this is seen as a tough challenge, Villarreal will have the advantage of not playing in Europe this season, allowing them to keep the legs of the likes of star players Pau Torres and Gerard Moreno fresh.

Armando's main challenge in the transfer market this summer be to begin replacing an ageing midfield, with Capoue, Iborra, Coquelin, Parejo and Trigueros all in their 30s. Any money left over is likely to be spent on adding central defenders to the squad, particularly if Pérez intends to continue operating with a 3-4-3 system.

Villarreal will kick the season off wth a home game against Real Betis on 20th August. Villarreal fans will be hoping Pérez can win his first de la Comunitat derby game against Valencia in October, while Pérez will certainly be looking to win games against former club Málaga in November and April.

Málaga owner José María Muñoz had tried to block Pérez from joining Villareal and had contacted LaLiga to attempt to block it but the league organisation over ruled Muñoz's intentions, allowing Pérez to join Villarreal.

Speaking to the press in his first interview, Villareal's new manager outlined his plans for taking the club forward.

Armando Pérez:

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"First and foremost it is an honour to be named as the new manager of Villarreal. This is a club with an incredible culture and atmosphere and a fanbase that is so intelligent with a passion that can only be admired.

The squad is a very exciting group of player with a combination of youth and experience. We want to play exciting, attacking football and be real trend setters with how we move the ball around. I believe we have the players to make that happen and I know we can develop into a fierce beast.

The aim for this club has to be to play in the Champions League. Our objective this season is to make that happen and I can move forward with plans knowing that everybody at the club will do their very best to make that happen."

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The story of Villarreal started all the way back in 1923 when a club named Club Deportivo Villarreal was formed. The modern name took form in 1954 when Villarreal Club de Fútbol in its current form became known. The club known affectionately by its supporters as El Submarí Groguet (The Yellow Submarine) is based in Villarreal, on the east coast of Spain - north of Valencia.

The club predominantly played in the lower leagues during its early years before eventually making its LaLiga debut in 1998. Since then, Villarreal have played all but 2 seasons in Spain's top flight and even finished 2nd in 2007/2008, albeit during a season where Real Madrid were rebuilding and Atlético Madrid had just moved on captain Fernando Torres. Relegation in 2012 was a bitter blow to the club as they lost a number of star players, but bounced back immediately and have since been an ever-present in Spain's top division.

Villarreal's only major trophy came in 2021 when then-manager Unai Emery helped the club to a first ever UEFA Europa League title, as they beat Manchester United in the final in a night described as the greatest ever in the club's history.


Villarreal finished in a lowly 8th place in LaLiga last season, while also suffering penalty shootout heartbreak in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi finals against German side Gladbach. The club will not play in Europe this season, which is a rare break in recent years for a club from a town that does not have enough residents to fill out many stadia.

Villarreal play their home games at Estadio de la Cerámica, a 23,500 seater renowned for the volume generated by the club's supporters and a sea of yellow which glows brightly under the floodlights. The population of the town of Villarreal is just over 50,000, which means a full capacity crowd at home games is almost half the population of the town.

The core of the playing squad contains a number of ageing players with no less than thirteen players in their thirties, including star player Gerard Moreno. However, the club also has some fantastic young prospects, with Yeremy Pino in particular attracting interest from Europe's top clubs.

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Transfers

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Outgoing:

Pérez's clearout of Villarreal began with the departure of senior players who were not deemed good enough for the team. Big sales included that of Álex Baena, Haissem Hassan, Francis Coquelin and Sergio Asenjo, while there were a few other fee-earning transfers too. This significantly bolstered Villarreal's already-strong financial reserves while also opening up space in the club's salary structure to fulfil LaLiga salary cap rules.

Incoming:
The first arrival was that of Argentine central defender Nehuén Pérez. Pérez joined from Atlético for a fee of €15,000,000 and, at 23 years of age, is seen as a key component of Villarreal's defence for the next decade. Aggressive, quick and defensively aware, he has all the hallmarks of an established top-level defender and will add real expertise to the Villarreal back line.


In the door next was 28 year old midfielder Óliver. He joined from Sevilla for a fee of €12,500,000 and is expected to form part of a midfield two, alongside Dani Parejo. Óliver's excellent passing range and clarity of ball control make him an ideal candidate for a highly-technical form of play and he possesses all the hallmarks of true creative force.


The final signing, and possible the biggest name, was that of Iñigo Martínez. The 32 year old defender joined from Athletic Bilbao for €10,000,000. The 4-time Spain international is not just a terrific defender but also an excellent ball player. His ability to take the ball forward, and also to score goals, makes him an incredible capture for the club and fits in perfectly to the three-at-the-back system often deployed by manager Armando Pérez.

Villarreal Squad

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With no European football this season, Villarreal can afford to have a lighter squad. There is plenty of quality in depth except for perhaps the wide areas, and goalkeeper. However, manager Armando Pérez is incredibly confident that his best eleven can achieve a top four finish, assuming no major injuries.

LaLiga

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The media expect Villarreal to finish outside of the top four. This comes as no surprise considering the minimal reputation Villarreal has compared to other top clubs in the league. Can Pérez's yellow army prove the doubters wrong?

Upcoming Fixtures

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Real Betis will be Villarreal's first opponent in the league this season. October looks a particularly tough month with games against Valencia, Barcelona, Real Sociedad and Real Madrid to be played then. Armando Pérez will be looking forward ot the game against Málaga in mid-November.

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Results

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Wonderkid Yeremy Pino got the Armando Pérez off to a flying start as a brace and assist in the first game saw the new-look Villarreal team slaughter Real Betis. The good result turned into good form as they won six on the bounce to go clear at the top.

Then came the month of October. Three draws and a loss looks bad on paper but consider who the results were against, Villarreal and Mister Worldwide could be excused. A draw against clear league favourites, and raining champions, Real Madrid was considered a smashing result.

Villarreal got back to winning ways against Sevilla as they went on another six game winning run. The run included a tasty game against high-flying Málaga, as Pérez's yellow wave won 2-0 against his old team, much to the bemusement of Málaga owner José María Muñoz who went on an expletive-filled rant following the game.

Going into mid-December, Villarreal were ravaged by a spate of untimely injuries, and succumbed to defeat against Levante. A win came against second tier Ibiza in Copa del Rey before they saw out a 2-2 draw against Atlético Madrid to finish 2023 fairly well.

Villarreal Season Stats

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Gerónimo Rulli was the ever-present in the team as he played eveyr minute of the nineteen games in all competitions, keeping nine clean sheets. He made a number of timely and important saves to help win games as the Argentine shot stopper continued an impressive career at Villarreal. Napoli's interest in the goalkeeper has been well-documented, but Pérez is intent on keeping his goalkeeper at the club for as long as possible.

Club captain Pau Torres is Spain's best defender and he showed why in the first half of the season. Playing in the middle of a back three, he has been commanding and assertive and has tied things together for Villarreal in what could turn out to be a very special season. He did, interestingly, come on as a substitute against Ibiza as a striker, and scored. He can truly do it all.

Yeremy Pino has shined with 7 goals from the right of attack, and has been linked with a €160,000,000 move to Real Madrid, while Gerard Moreno has also chipped in with 7 of his own. However, veteran midfielder Dani Parejo has been the main scoring outlet. THe set-piece specialist has so far bagged 9 goals this season, including 4 penalties and 2 free-kicks. His performances have been so impressive that there has been talk of him being recalled to the Spain squad.

LaLiga

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Villarreal have unexpectedly founds themselves in the middle of a title race with hot favourites Real Madrid, with the batton swapping hands regularly so far. 40 points from 18 games sees Villarreal sit in 2nd place, 1 point behind Real and 2 ahead of Valencia. The race for Champions League qualification looks intense, with Atlético, Levante, Málaga and Barcelona also in the hunt.

Upcoming Fixtures

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Action will resume with a trip to Athletic Club before a Copa del Rey fixture against Linares. Villarreal fans will be looking to March as a key month, with games against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad to be played then.

Can Villarreal continue their title push?

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04/01/2024

Youssoufa Moukoko has today completed a permanent transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Villarreal. The 19 year old Germany U21 international joins for a club record €50,000,000 (could rise to €55,000,000) on a four-and-a-half year deal. The highly-coveted teenager will wear the Number 9 jersey at Estadio de La Cerámica and is seen as a long-term replacement for current first-choice striker Gerard Moreno.

Moukoko made history in 2020 when he became the youngest player in Bundesliga history and since made 26 Bundesliga appearances during his time at the club, scoring 8 times. However, Moukoko found his game time restricted this season, playing just twice under manager Marco Rose.

The transfer makes Moukoko the most expensive signing in Villarreal's history, easily eclipsing the €20,000,000 fee paid for Gerard Moreno in 2018. There are some reservations among those in the Spanish media but the overall consensus is that Villarreal have paid a premium for a premium wonderkid with unlimited potential.

It is not yet clear what Moukoko's role will be for the second half of the current season, with Yeremy Pino, Gerard Moreno and Arnaut Danjuma forming a strong attack. With Pino linked to Barcelona and Real Madrid, however, Moukoko may have been a preemptive replacement. Villarreal fans will be hoping their new signing will be able to score enough goals to ocntinue their title push.

Youssoufa Moukoko:

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"I'm delighted to be here in Spain with Villarreal and excited to get going. The club is in a very exciting moment and has a reputation for pushing youngsters onto the next level. I'm hoping that I can be the next in that line and reach the next level in football.

I have my own personal objectives for this season and the coming seasons but my main priority now is to settle into the club and help the team to push for Champions League qualification and maybe even the LaLiga title.

I'm quick, strong, skillful and I can score goals. That's my game and I'm hoping to build a very positive relationship with the fans, who I know are incredibly passionate. VAMOS VILLARREAL!"

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Transfers

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Outgoing:
Two players left the club permanently - Laurienté and Mandi. They were not getting many minutes and Pérez saw an opportunity to grab some sort of transfer value from them.

Incoming:
Moukoko was the only signing in this time. The €50,000,000 signing was a stellar move by Villarreal and he was sure to get fans of their feet with his dazzling skill, super speed and formidable shooting ability.

Villarreal Youth Intake

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It was a very strong youth intake with some superb prospects coming through. No candidate was ready to make an immediate step up to first-team football but Federico Manfrè was certainly a superbly-exciting prospect.

Results

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January started with a bang as Arnaut Danjuma finally decided to show up. He scored a total of 7 goals as Villarreal won six games back-to-back, including league wins against Athletic Club, Real Betis, Huesca and Getafe, while they also progressed in the Copa del Rey with wins over Linares and Almería. They did, however, succumb to a disappointing defeat to Getafe in the cup to end the month on a low.

A goalless draw against Celta Vigo put a pep in the step of Villarreal who then went on to secure wins over Alavés, Valencia and Elche.

March was always going to be the big month of the second half of the season and Villarreal did not do as badly as some may have expected. The high point was a win against Real Sociedad, while draws against Barcelona and Sevilla were certainly respectable. However, a Karim Benzema hat trick in his final season as a Real Madrid player left a sour taste in Villarreal mouths.

Villarreal pushed back in April, continuing on from their win over Real Sociedad. A Moukoko-inspired Villarreal side blasted through Osasuna, Málaga, Granada and Mallorca.

Villarreal Season Stats

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Rulli missed just one game due to a minor injury as he recorded a total of 18 games in 37 games with a month to go. His match-winning saves continued and he made strides towards becoming an all-time great for the club.

While Pau Torres continued to run rule in Villarreal's back line, Lucas Vázquez shone from the right flank. A joint team-high of 14 assists proved him to be an incredible source of creativity, despite being in his 30s.

Dani Parejo continued to be the all-important superstar of the team with a combined 28 goals + assists as a deep plying playmaker.

Gerard Moreno's goal scoring form had dried up significantly and he had been pushed out of the starting eleven by January arrival Mouokoko. Moukoko was averaging a goal every 111 minutes, while Danjuma, Pino and Dia also proved to be valuable goal scoring sources.

LaLiga

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Phwoar. With 4 games to go, Villarreal had secured Champions League qualification and thus achieving the objective set out last summer. THey had also already broken their LaLiga points record (79 vs 77).

With Champions League qualification in the bag, Villarreal were committed to pushing as hard as they could for a last-minute title charge. Real Madrid were always going to be the clear favourites to win the league but Villarreal had a chance with just a month to go, and that's all they could have ever dreamed of.

Upcoming Fixtures

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Levante, Espanyol, Atlético and Athletic. Four big games for Villarreal. They had absolutely nothing to lose but everything to gain. Armando Pérez's men could go out there with all guns blazing and not worry about losing anything. Show time.

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Results

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It was as perfect as it could be. Four games, four wins, four clean sheets. A win at the Wanda against Atlético was certainly the highlight, while Moukoko continued to impress throughout.

Villarreal Season Stats

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Rulli added another 4 clean sheets to his name while Pino and Mouoko broke into double figures for goals scored. Gerard Moreno failed to score yet again.

LaLiga

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It wasn't enough. 91 points was not enough. It was a tremendous season from Villarreal that pushed Real Madrid all the way to Gameweek 38 but ultimately Los Galacticos won. Congratulations to them and Carlo Ancelotti.

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19/05/2024

Armando, commiserations on losing out on a thrilling title race. What are your immediate thoughts?

"it's a werird one. On one hand I'm a little hurt that we couldn't get our hands on the trophy. On the other, I could not be more proud of what we achieved this season. The players gave me everything and it was very nearly enough. In most seasons it would have been enough. But that's football - you can never not back Real Madrid to do the job and they did. Congratulations to them."

Many clubs records broken and Champions League football secured. It's a season to be delighted with.

"Definitely. It had everything it needed to be considered a memorable season for the club. We'll be back in the Champions League now and we cannot wait for that to kick off for us in September. We can enjoy the rewards for our success then, and we'll definitely celebrate before then."

What will you be doing to prepare the squad for the challenges of European football?

"We have a few transfer targets lined up, including some big names, so we can look forward to working with them. Beyond that it is about continuing to work with each other to develop ourselves to the next level and to keep pushing to improve where we can. We can't stop now."

Do you think you can challenge for the title again next season?

"Why not!?! We don't need to be better than Real Madrid, we just need to win more points than them. We can do that in our own way and see where it gets us. We didn't do too badly this season and I think we can make a similar push next season."

Yeremy Pino and Pau Torres are both heavily linked with moves to some of Europe's top clubs. How can you keep them at Villarreal?

"The links they've had show how good they are and I cannot speak highly enough of them. As for keeping them - we've had no bids so far so it's a non-topic right now."

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Transfers

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Outgoing:
There were a lot of outgoings at Villarreal as Armando Pérez's transformation continued. There were big departures as fan favourites Gerónimo Rulli, Gerard Moreno and Manu Trigueros all left the club for pastures new. There were also departures for senior players Serge Aurier, Jorge Cuenca, Pervis Estupinan, Iván Martín and others.

Incoming:
The goalkeeper department claimed a complete overhaul as Frenchman Alban Lafont joined as the club's new starting goalkeeper. He will have big shoes to fill in the absence of Rulli but the 25 year old former PSG 'keeper is incredibly highly rated and the €24,500,000 fee seemed a bargain. Marek Rodak also joined on a free transfer as back-up.



Defensive reinforcements came in the form of Clément Lenglet and Patric. Lenglet joined for €14,500,00 from Manchester City, having previously played for FC Barcelona. The France international is a highly-rated defender who is expected to be a key player for Villarreal. Patric joined from Sevilla to add experienced depth to the squad for a fee of €3,500,000.



Villarreal fans will look forward to two new wing backs. Dutch star Denzel Dumfries joined from FC Inter for €11,750,000, while Alberto Moreno rejoined the club for €8,000,000 from Tottenham Hotspur. Both players are in the peak of their powers and are expected to be star players on the flanks.



Two exciting midfielders joined the club in the form of James Garner, who joined on a free transfer, and Hamed Traoré, who joined from Sassuolo for €15,000,000. Garner is expected to provide backup for Dani Parejo, who is coming to the end of his playing days, while Traoré is an exciting addition who will be a star player. His incredible technical ability and physical prowess makes him one to watch.



While Gerard Moreno was a big name departure, he didn't score much last season. Moukoko was the the undoubted starter, so Juanmi came in to provide good backup. For a fee of €5,500,000, it was seen as a bargain. Emanuel Vignato joined for €14,250,000 to provide competition for Danjuma on the left wing.

Results

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Villarreal did a tour of USA and played a number of games. Wins against everybody except Chelsea came, including a surprise win against Liverpool.

Villarreal Squad

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The squads was looking very strong. A lot of new faces means that there will be a huge settling period for the squad. However, the future was exciting for a squad that had an enormous amount of potential. Could they make another title charge?

LaLiga

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An absolute surprise that Real Madrid were, once again, favourites to win the league. Villarreal were expected to maintain their place as a Top Four team, alongside Barcelona and Atlético. Sevilla and Real Sociedad were also expected to challenge for Top Four.

Upcoming Fixtures

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Villarreal to start the season at home to Mallorca. The big game to look forward to was against Real Madrid, to be played on 15th December. There will also be Champions League group stage games scheduled, with qualification games still ongoing.

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