Villarreal's third boss of the year is a familiar face - the guy who took them from second tier to Europe!

After seven years' absence, the old boss has returned to save the Yellow Submarine! Villarreal CF and Marcelino Garcia Toral agreed for the Asturian to become their head coach again and gave him a contract until June 2026. The team, already under Marcelino's instructions, will try to improve on the disappointing 14th place in La Liga standings.

The official presentation press conference will be held today in the press room of El Madrigal stadium. This will be Marcelino's second stint at the helm of Villarreal, a position he held from January 2013 until August 2016. A native of Gijon, Marcelino took charge of a team immersed in the Spanish Second Division and not only achieved direct promotion that same year but also secured two consecutive qualifications for European competitions in the following three seasons. He reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League and the Copa del Rey. He even guided the Submarine to the UEFA Champions League playoff after finishing fourth in La Liga in his final campaign as the Yellow team's coach. In total, Marcelino managed Villarreal for 177 matches.

Throughout his professional career, Marcelino has managed teams such as CD Lealtad, Sporting de Gijon, Recreativo de Huelva, Racing de Santander, Real Zaragoza, Sevilla, Valencia, Athletic Club, and most recently Olympique de Marseille in a disastrous and short spell which ended after the ultras threatened the club's leaders.

Garcia Toral replaces Jose Rojo Martín 'Pacheta', who was in charge since September, managing just three wins in 12 games. Pacheta was, in turn, a replacement for Quique Setien, who lasted just four games of the 2023/24 season. It's been a turbulent season so far for the Yellow Submarine - and that's putting it mildly. For Villarreal's loyal fans, maybe it's third time lucky.

Over the past decade, Villarreal secured several top-six finishes in La Liga, consistently qualifying for European tournaments. Their performances in the UEFA Europa League were notable, reaching the semi-finals in the 2015/16 season, ultimately losing to Liverpool. In the 2020/21 season, managed by Unai Emery, they achieved a historic milestone by winning the UEFA Europa League title by defeating Manchester United in the final.