Villarreal CF is one of European football’s most remarkable success stories, based in Vila-real, a small town of just 50,000 residents in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community. Universally known as "El Submarino Amarillo" (The Yellow Submarine), the club competes in La Liga and plays its home matches at the modern 23,500-capacity Estadio de la Cerámica.
Founded in 1923, the club traditionally plays in full bright-yellow kits. Villarreal spent the vast majority of its history in regional and lower divisions before achieving a miraculous top-flight La Liga debut in 1998 under the visionary leadership and financial stewardship of president Fernando Roig.
Despite representing a tiny municipality, Villarreal built a global brand recognized for attractive, technical football and elite European achievements. The club reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals twice (2006, 2022) and achieved its crowning glory in 2021 by winning the UEFA Europa League under Unai Emery, defeating Manchester United in a historic 11–10 penalty shootout.
Villarreal CF maintains intense regional Valencian rivalries, contesting the fiery Derby of the Community (Derbi de la Comunitat) against Valencia CF, alongside local regional fixtures with CD Castellón.
Villarreal (Spain)
