One of the most successful LALIGA EA SPORTS clubs of the 21st century is Villarreal CF, a club that is now known around the world but that had never played in Spanish football’s top division until as recently as 1998. Let’s take a look at their story and some facts you may not know. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.
The story of the submarine nickname
Villarreal CF’s nickname is El Submarino Amarillo, or The Yellow Submarine in English. The nickname makes sense given their yellow colours, and it comes from a cover of the famous song by The Beatles. The Spanish group Los Mustang had a cover which some Villarreal CF fans started playing on a battery-powered record player at their Estadio de la Cerámica. It very quickly caught on.
They are LALIGA EA SPORTS mainstays… but only this century
For many years, Villarreal CF competed in the lower leagues of the Spanish football pyramid. They never reached the first division until the 1998/99 season. Since then, however, they have become LALIGA EA SPORTS mainstays, spending every other season except for two (1999/2000 and 2012/13) in the top flight.
The smallest city with a European champion
Villarreal CF’s strong performances in the 21st century culminated with their triumph in the 2020/21 Europa League. Led by coach Unai Emery, the Spanish side defeated Manchester United on penalties in the final. Given that the city the club hails from, called Vila-real, boasts a population of approximately 50,000 people, it immediately became the smallest municipality to ever win a major UEFA trophy.
A stadium built into the streets
The 23-000-capacity Estadio de la Cerámica is a sight to behold. The all-yellow stadium sits in the centre of Vila-real, with parts of it even physically joined on to adjacent buildings. It truly is a stadium that is built into the streets. That makes for an extra special community atmosphere, as does the fact that the club’s stadium has been in the same spot since 1923, albeit with extensive renovations completed over the years.
One of the most successful academies in Spanish football
One of the explanations for Villarreal CF’s 21st century success is their incredible youth academy. The club has taken youth development very seriously and has heavily invested in the academy structure. This had led to success in youth football competitions, such as LALIGA FC FUTURES, while Villarreal CF regularly produce talented players. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is one of the academy’s graduates, while Gerard Moreno, Yeremy Pino, Pau Torres and Álex Baena are others.
