Disbelief as Villarreal go down to second tier
Reuters - Monday 14 May 2012, 09:17
Villarreal, often touted as a
model for smaller clubs to aspire to, were left preparing for
life in the second division on Monday after they were relegated
following a dramatic finale to the La Liga season.
The team known as 'Yellow Submarine' because of their canary
coloured strip, started the campaign in the Champions League
after finishing fourth last year, but went in to Sunday's
decider in 16th place and one point above the drop zone.
They looked to be safe from the drop as they held Europa
League winners Atletico Madrid at bay with minutes left before
disaster struck.
Atletico netted the only goal of the game in the 88th minute
at a stunned Madrigal, and then, still only needing a draw to
survive, Villarreal heard that Rayo Vallecano had scored in time
added on to beat Granada 1-0 and send them down.
"I can't believe it," Villarreal vice-president Jose Manuel
Llaneza told Spanish television. "I can't believe there can be
so much heartache in only five minutes."
Behind him on the pitch, wealthy Ceramics tycoon and club
president Fernando Roig was in tears.
"There is the president getting an ovation from the fans. I
can't believe it. There is nothing left for us to do but to
carry on working."
Villarreal had turned themselves into top-flight regulars
over the last 12 years, and after reaching the Champions League
semi-finals in 2006, where they lost out to Arsenal, became
accustomed to competing on the European stage.
The club from just north of Valencia combined an attractive
brand of attacking football with a productive youth and scouting
system, and successfully survived the exits of players such as
Diego Forlan and Juan Roman Riquelme.
This year, however, the formula fell apart.
The sale of Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla to Malaga for a
lucrative 20 million euros raised eyebrows and his replacements,
such as Canadian Jonathan De Guzman, failed to live up to
expectations.
ROSSI INJURY
Leading scorer, Italy striker Giuseppe Rossi, tore knee
ligaments in October and just when he was about to return
suffered a relapse last month which will keep him sidelined well
in to next season.
Villarreal lost all six group games to crash out of the
Champions League and miss out on the Europa League, and after a
humbling King's Cup exit to third-tier Mirandes, coach Juan
Carlos Garrido was sacked in December.
His replacement Jose Molina only lasted until March when the
experienced Miguel Angel Lotina took the helm.
Unaccustomed to the relegation scrap, and with the dour
defensively-minded Lotina in charge, Villarreal opted for
caution in the decider against Atletico and were undone at a
corner in the dying minutes.
"We have gone down because we haven't done well," Spanish
international goalkeeper Diego Lopez told reporters. "Today's
game was evidence of that."
Captain Marcos Senna, who helped Spain win Euro 2008,
apologised to the fans, some of whom barracked the team as they
left the stadium.
"All I can say is we got it wrong, there is no need to look
for culprits," Senna said. "This club does not deserve to be in
the second division for everything it represents, I am sure we
will rise again."