Villarreal CF in European competitions
Encyclopedia
Villarreal CF
, a Spanish football club, has played in European football since 2002, in the Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup, Champions League and Europa League.
. In the qualifying round stage, Villarreal controversially defeated English side Everton
with a 4–2 aggregate score with two 2–1 victories. In the group stage, Villarreal were to be in the same group as Portuguese champions Benfica, French club Lille
, and England's Manchester United
. Remaining undefeated throughout the group stage, Villarreal were twice victorious (1–0 each against Benfica away and Lille at home) and earned four draws, including two scoreless draws with Manchester United. They topped their group and progressed to the knock-out stages along with Benfica. The club progressed to the quarter-finals in their Champions League
debut by defeating the Scottish club Rangers
3–3 on the away goals rule
(a 2–2 draw in Glasgow
and a 1–1 draw at home gave the Spanish side one more away goal than their opponents).
El Submarino Amarillo drew Italian giants Internazionale
in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
. The first leg was played at the San Siro
on 29 March 2006. Playing at the San Siro, Diego Forlán
scored inside the first minute of the match, but Villarreal lost 2–1 as Inter took a lead to the return leg at El Madrigal
on 4 April. Villarreal, however, continued their unbeaten home record in the Champions League
as they beat the Italian giants 1–0 in the second leg to qualify for the semi-finals on the away goals rule
(the tie ended 2–2 on aggregate, but because of Forlán's goal in Milan
, Villarreal advanced). During that game, left-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena
turned a back header from Juan Román Riquelme
free kick past Inter's goalkeeper Francesco Toldo to score the decisive goal of the tie. In the semi-finals, Villarreal narrowly lost out to Arsenal
on a 1–0 aggregate scoreline following Arsenal's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
's save of Juan Román Riquelme's last-minute penalty. Villarreal signed Robert Pirès
from Arsenal in the summer following their Champions League semi-final defeat. Pires starred for the club until his departure at the end of the 2009–2010 season.
after eight consecutive wins. "The Yellow Submarine" was 13th after Round 30 of La Liga, but they climbed to finish fifth at the end of the season.
, and Aalborg BK. They made a good start by holding current European champions Manchester United to a goal-less draw at Old Trafford
, a third 0–0 draw in a row against the English giants. A first win was sealed on 30 September by beating Gordon Strachan
's Celtic 1–0 at El Madrigal, courtesy of a Marcos Senna
free-kick. On 21 October, during a Champions League match against Aalborg, they scored six goals to three. The Spaniards went ahead through the knock-out stage after drawing 2–2 with Aalborg in Denmark and drawing goalless once again against the Lancastrians, on the last group-stage match, they lost to an already eliminated Celtic.
In the knock-out stage, they faced Panathinaikos, who left Villarreal with a 1–1 away advantage, despite this the Greeks were to lose 1–2 in Athens
. Villarreal reached the quarter-finals for the second time in two tries, and were once again paired with Arsenal. The first leg saw a 1–1 draw by a free-kick by Marcos Senna
, equalised by an Emmanuel Adebayor
volley. Theo Walcott
, Emmanuel Adebayor
, and Robin van Persie
secured a 3–0 win for Arsenal on the return, knocking Villarreal out of the tournament.
of the Netherlands by a 2–9 aggregeate victory in a qualifier. They shared Group G with Levski Sofia
, who they defeated 1–0 in the opening game, and with Lazio
and Red Bull Salzburg. They came 2nd in that group, behind Red Bull Salzburg. Consequently, Villarreal was drawn against VfL Wolfsburg
(who had dropped out of the UEFA Champions League
) in the Round of 32. Playing at home first, Villarreal secured a 2–2 draw. In the return leg at Wolfsburg's Volkswagen Arena
, however, Villarreal would succumb to defeat by a 4–1 scoreline.
's financial irregularities precluded them from taking part in the tournament.
A 5–0 home win and a 2–1 away win against Dnepr Mogilev qualified them for the group stage. Villarreal suffered an early setback following a shock 2–0 loss in their away fixture against Dinamo Zagreb. Despite this, wins against Zagreb, Club Brugge and PAOK saw them top their group.
After beating Napoli
, Bayer Leverkusen and FC Twente
in the knockout phases, Villarreal qualified for the semi-finals to face tournament favourites F.C. Porto. After taking a 1–0 lead in Estádio do Dragão
, Porto made a remarkable turnaround that ended in a 5–1 defeat. Although Villareal won the second leg with a 3–2 win, Porto's first leg goals saw them advance to the final where they beat S.C. Braga to be crowned champions. Giuseppe Rossi
finished as the tournament's second top goalscorer with 11 goals, behind Porto's Falcao.
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
, a Spanish football club, has played in European football since 2002, in the Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup, Champions League and Europa League.
2005–06 UEFA Champions League
The 2005–06 season brought the club considerable European success and recognition, due to their consistent performances in the Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. In the qualifying round stage, Villarreal controversially defeated English side Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
with a 4–2 aggregate score with two 2–1 victories. In the group stage, Villarreal were to be in the same group as Portuguese champions Benfica, French club Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
, and England's Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Remaining undefeated throughout the group stage, Villarreal were twice victorious (1–0 each against Benfica away and Lille at home) and earned four draws, including two scoreless draws with Manchester United. They topped their group and progressed to the knock-out stages along with Benfica. The club progressed to the quarter-finals in their Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut by defeating the Scottish club Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
3–3 on the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
(a 2–2 draw in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and a 1–1 draw at home gave the Spanish side one more away goal than their opponents).
El Submarino Amarillo drew Italian giants Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. The first leg was played at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
on 29 March 2006. Playing at the San Siro, Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
scored inside the first minute of the match, but Villarreal lost 2–1 as Inter took a lead to the return leg at El Madrigal
Estadio El Madrigal
Estadio El Madrigal is a multi-purpose stadium in Vila-real, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches, as it is the home of Villarreal CF.The stadium with 25,000 seats was originally built in 1923...
on 4 April. Villarreal, however, continued their unbeaten home record in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
as they beat the Italian giants 1–0 in the second leg to qualify for the semi-finals on the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
(the tie ended 2–2 on aggregate, but because of Forlán's goal in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Villarreal advanced). During that game, left-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena
Rodolfo Arruabarrena
Rodolfo Martín Arruabarrena is a former Argentine football left back. His last club was Universidad Católica in the Primera División de Chile...
turned a back header from Juan Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme is an Argentine footballer who plays for Boca Juniors. A longtime Argentine international, Riquelme is best known for his spells with Boca Juniors and Villarreal...
free kick past Inter's goalkeeper Francesco Toldo to score the decisive goal of the tie. In the semi-finals, Villarreal narrowly lost out to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
on a 1–0 aggregate scoreline following Arsenal's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
's save of Juan Román Riquelme's last-minute penalty. Villarreal signed Robert Pirès
Robert Pirès
Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04...
from Arsenal in the summer following their Champions League semi-final defeat. Pires starred for the club until his departure at the end of the 2009–2010 season.
2006–07 season
The 2006–07 season started very badly but Villarreal were able to qualify for the UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
after eight consecutive wins. "The Yellow Submarine" was 13th after Round 30 of La Liga, but they climbed to finish fifth at the end of the season.
2008–09 UEFA Champions League
The club automatically qualified for the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League, due to them finishing second in La Liga the previous season. They drew Manchester United, for the second consecutive campaign, CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, and Aalborg BK. They made a good start by holding current European champions Manchester United to a goal-less draw at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, a third 0–0 draw in a row against the English giants. A first win was sealed on 30 September by beating Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
's Celtic 1–0 at El Madrigal, courtesy of a Marcos Senna
Marcos Senna
Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:...
free-kick. On 21 October, during a Champions League match against Aalborg, they scored six goals to three. The Spaniards went ahead through the knock-out stage after drawing 2–2 with Aalborg in Denmark and drawing goalless once again against the Lancastrians, on the last group-stage match, they lost to an already eliminated Celtic.
In the knock-out stage, they faced Panathinaikos, who left Villarreal with a 1–1 away advantage, despite this the Greeks were to lose 1–2 in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Villarreal reached the quarter-finals for the second time in two tries, and were once again paired with Arsenal. The first leg saw a 1–1 draw by a free-kick by Marcos Senna
Marcos Senna
Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:...
, equalised by an Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...
volley. Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott
Theo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...
, Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...
, and Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
secured a 3–0 win for Arsenal on the return, knocking Villarreal out of the tournament.
2009–10 UEFA Europa League
For the 2009–10 season, Villarreal competed in the UEFA Europa League, defeating NAC BredaNAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
of the Netherlands by a 2–9 aggregeate victory in a qualifier. They shared Group G with Levski Sofia
PFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
, who they defeated 1–0 in the opening game, and with Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
and Red Bull Salzburg. They came 2nd in that group, behind Red Bull Salzburg. Consequently, Villarreal was drawn against VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
(who had dropped out of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
) in the Round of 32. Playing at home first, Villarreal secured a 2–2 draw. In the return leg at Wolfsburg's Volkswagen Arena
Volkswagen Arena
Volkswagen Arena is a multi-purpose stadium in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany and serves as the home stadium for 2008/09 Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg. The Volkswagen Arena replaced the former stadium of VfL Wolfsburg, the VFL Stadion.- History :...
, however, Villarreal would succumb to defeat by a 4–1 scoreline.
2010–11 UEFA Europa League
Despite finishing outside of a European qualifying spot in the domestic league, Villarreal was given a place in the qualifying round of the 2010–11 Europa League after UEFA determined that RCD MallorcaRCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
's financial irregularities precluded them from taking part in the tournament.
A 5–0 home win and a 2–1 away win against Dnepr Mogilev qualified them for the group stage. Villarreal suffered an early setback following a shock 2–0 loss in their away fixture against Dinamo Zagreb. Despite this, wins against Zagreb, Club Brugge and PAOK saw them top their group.
After beating Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
, Bayer Leverkusen and FC Twente
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
in the knockout phases, Villarreal qualified for the semi-finals to face tournament favourites F.C. Porto. After taking a 1–0 lead in Estádio do Dragão
Estádio do Dragão
The Estádio do Dragão is a football stadium located in Porto, Portugal, with an all-seated capacity of 50,399. Inaugurated on November 16, 2003, it is the current home ground of F.C. Porto, having replaced the club's old venue, the Estádio das Antas...
, Porto made a remarkable turnaround that ended in a 5–1 defeat. Although Villareal won the second leg with a 3–2 win, Porto's first leg goals saw them advance to the final where they beat S.C. Braga to be crowned champions. Giuseppe Rossi
Giuseppe Rossi
Giuseppe Rossi is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish club Villarreal CF and the Italian national team.- Early life :...
finished as the tournament's second top goalscorer with 11 goals, behind Porto's Falcao.