La Liga Table 2017 Week 35: Updated Standings Following Friday's Result
Apr 28, 2017
Villarreal's Congolese forward Cedric Bakambu celebrates a goal during the Spanish league football match Villarreal CF vs Real Sporting de Gijon at La Ceramica stadium in Villareal on April 28, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN (Photo credit should read JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Villarreal started Week 35 of the 2016-17 La Liga season with an easy 3-1 win over Sporting Gijon, with star striker Cedric Bakambu finding the net twice.
The result leaves Sporting six points behind Leganes, and their bid to avoid relegation seems almost hopeless at this point.
Barcelona and Real Madrid will both feature Saturday, taking on Espanyol and Valencia, respectively.
Here's a look at the latest standings:
Pos
Team
PL
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Barcelona
34
24
6
4
101
33
+68
78
2
Real Madrid
33
24
6
3
90
38
+52
78
3
Atletico Madrid
34
20
8
6
60
25
+35
68
4
Sevilla
34
20
8
6
60
40
+20
68
5
Villarreal
35
18
9
8
52
28
+24
63
6
Athletic Club
34
18
5
11
48
38
+10
59
7
Real Sociedad
34
18
4
12
52
47
+5
58
8
Eibar
34
14
9
11
52
45
+7
51
9
Espanyol
34
13
11
10
45
44
+1
50
10
Alaves
34
11
12
11
32
40
-8
45
11
Celta Vigo
33
13
5
15
49
54
-5
44
12
Valencia
34
11
7
16
49
59
-10
40
13
Las Palmas
34
10
9
15
52
61
-9
39
14
Malaga
34
10
9
15
40
49
-9
39
15
Real Betis
34
10
7
17
37
53
-16
37
16
Deportivo La Coruna
34
7
10
17
37
57
-20
31
17
Leganes
34
7
9
18
30
51
-21
30
18
Sporting Gijon
35
5
9
21
38
70
-32
24
19
Granada
34
4
8
22
27
72
-45
20
20
Osasuna
34
3
9
22
35
82
-47
18
Recap
The Yellow Submarine were expected to beat Sporting Friday but didn't have it all their way early as Gijon came out fighting for their La Liga lives.
As shared by sports writer Sid Lowe, some heroics from goalkeeper Andres Fernandez preceded Roberto Soldado's opener, and Friday's match could have played out quite differently if it hadn't:
Bobby Soldier puts Villarreal 1-0 up against Sporting, seconds after Andres Fernandez made a fantastic save at other end.
The opener took the wind out of Gijon's sails, and Villarreal controlled the action the rest of the way. Bakambu missed a huge chance to double the lead before half-time, but he redeemed himself with a brace after the break.
By the time he bagged his second goal, Lowe thought things seemed
Bakambu makes it Villarreal 3-0 Sporting. Sporting in big, big trouble
The visitors did pull one back through Douglas, but much more was needed Friday. If Leganes and Deportivo La Coruna take care of business Sunday, their relegation scrap will be over.
Sporting Gijon's midfielder Mikel Vesga (L) vies with Villarreal's Congolese forward Cedric Bakambu during the Spanish league football match Villarreal CF vs Real Sporting de Gijon at La Ceramica stadium in Villareal on April 28, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JOSE
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid face tricky assignments during the weekend, even if the two La Liga giants are favoured to win their respective match.
For the Blaugrana, the city derby against Espanyol is on tap. The latter side has been remarkably well-organised and efficient of late, not conceding more than a single goal in their last four outings.
Per Barcelona's official Twitter account, manager Luis Enrique is well aware of the challenge ahead:
Real Madrid's job this weekend could also be tricky as they face a talented but woefully inconsistent Valencia side. When they're at their best, Los Che can do tremendous amounts of damage in the attacking third, and Los Blancos have some injuries on the back line.
You never know which Valencia side turns up. They could slump in the first minutes and concede six or seven goals, but if they have one of those nights, Los Che might just blow open the La Liga title race even further.
La Liga Table 2017 Week 31: Updated Standings Following Friday's Results
Apr 7, 2017
Villarreal players celebrate a goal during the Spanish league football match Villarreal CF vs Athletic Club Bilbao at El Madrigal stadium in Vila-real on April 7, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN (Photo credit should read JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Villarreal defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at the Estadio de la Ceramica in La Liga, as the hosts consolidated fifth place on Friday.
The home team took the lead midway through the first half, but Athletic Club equalised with an immediate response.
However, the visitors collapsed in the second half, allowing the Yellow Submarine to score twice after hopeless defending, completing their 15th victory of the league campaign.
Here is the confirmed result from Spain's top division:
Home
Score
Away
Villarreal
3-1
Athletic Bilbao
Here are the latest standings:
Pos
Club
P
W
D
L
GD
Points
1
Real Madrid
29
22
5
2
48
71
2
Barcelona
30
21
6
3
62
69
3
Atletico Madrid
30
18
7
5
32
61
4
Sevilla
30
17
7
6
15
58
5
Villarreal
31
15
9
7
21
54
6
Athletic Bilbao
31
15
5
11
4
50
7
Real Sociedad
30
15
4
11
2
49
8
Eibar
30
13
8
9
8
47
9
Espanyol
30
11
10
9
0
43
10
Celta Vigo
29
12
5
12
-4
41
11
Alaves
30
10
10
10
-8
40
12
Valencia
30
10
6
14
-9
36
13
Las Palmas
30
9
8
13
-5
35
14
Real Betis
30
8
7
15
-15
31
15
Malaga
30
7
9
14
-13
30
16
Deportivo La Coruna
30
6
10
14
-15
28
17
Leganes
30
6
9
15
-21
27
18
Sporting Gijon
30
5
7
18
-27
22
19
Granada
30
4
8
18
-36
20
20
Osasuna
30
2
8
20
-39
14
Friday Recap
Athletic's midfielder Mikel San Jose (R) bends in front of Villarreal's goalkeeper Andres Fernandez after missing an attempt on goal during the Spanish league football match Villarreal CF vs Athletic Club Bilbao at El Madrigal stadium in Vila-real on Apri
Athletic Club fell apart after a quick recovery against Villarreal at El Madrigal, opening the door for a ruthless second-half performance from the hosts.
VCF grabbed the lead after Victor Ruiz scored from close range after 17 minutes, but the advantage evaporated as Bilbao quickly found an answer.
Aymeric Laporte was in the right place at the right time from a corner, and the cultured defender finished with the confidence of a striker as he slotted his shot home just three minutes later.
The Basque side appeared a different team in the second half, and hapless defending saw Villarreal take control.
Villarreal's Congolese forward Cedric Bakambu (C) scores a goal during the Spanish league football match Villarreal CF vs Athletic Club Bilbao at El Madrigal stadium in Vila-real on April 7, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN (Photo credit should read
Cedric Bakambu was assisted by Roberto Soriano minutes after the restart, and Adrian Lopez made it 3-1 after 58 minutes, but the game was turned on its head by a controversial red card.
Ruiz was given a straight red for a tackle on Inaki Williams, sparking wild protests from supporters and team-mates.
However, TV replays showed the defender had caught the attacker with a dangerous lunge, vindicating the referee's decision.
Bilbao attempted to exploit their numerical advantage in the final 15 minutes, and the hosts dug in as time ebbed away.
Villarreal saw out their task after being reduced to 10 men, but the damage was done immediately after half-time as Athletic Club lost concentration for a 15-minute spell.
Dazzling Sevilla the Talk of La Liga, but Quiet Villarreal Might Be Just as Good
Nov 8, 2016
Villarreal's players celebrate their second goal during the Spanish league football match Villarreal CF vs Real Betis at El Madrigal stadium in Vila-real on November 6, 2016. / AFP / JOSE JORDAN (Photo credit should read JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Vitolo waved his index finger and stormed toward the corner flag, arms outstretched in front of thousands more doing the same. Under the lights, Sevilla had exploded and the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan had exploded with them.
In the space of seconds, they'd scorched the length of the pitch, tearing through Barcelona; Sergio Escudero to Pablo Sarabia, Sarabia to Franco Vazquez, Vazquez back to Sarabia, Sarabia to Vitolo.
Wow.
For 15 minutes, Sevilla had dazzled, and for another 28, they would continue to do so. In the face of Barcelona, the kings of this very trade, Jorge Sampaoli's men were so good it was as though they'd committed identity theft. Commanding the ball and dominating the shot count, pushing their guests into a corner, Sevilla flooded forward in waves, one after another, the manner of it extraordinary: flicks, backheels, lay-offs, nutmegs; the lot.
It didn't last, but that didn't matter. The assessment didn't change. Marca's match report, written in awe, wondered whether the Pizjuan had ever seen a performance from its team like the one in Sunday's first half. It's hard to know, but at least in recent memory there hadn't been. Not like this. Not even close.
For three-quarters of an hour, Sampaoli's side had whipped their fans into astonishment, into delirium. In doing so, they reinforced the belief that something very special is building in Spain's south, but then you glanced at the table. Sevilla: fourth. Above them in third: Villarreal.
Just before Sevilla kicked off against Barcelona, Villarreal had completed the most routine 2-0 victory over Real Betis. It was their third in their last four games in the league; fourth in their last six; sixth in their last nine.
The run has been impressive, but that sense of routine, a feeling of a certain tranquillity, has almost deflected attention. They don't dazzle. They don't awe. Whereas Sevilla have become the surging glamour boys of La Liga's second tier, their style as bold as their manager's words, Villarreal are easy to see as just, well, Villarreal: neat, pleasant, quiet. This season, though, they might be a whole lot more than that.
Eleven weeks into the campaign, the men from El Madrigal have 22 points and sit handsomely in third place behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona. It's the club's best start to a season for six years, and that in itself defies logic.
Villarreal's hot start has come on the back of the club sacking former manager Marcelino just a week before the season began. Reports of disquiet between manager and players painted a different picture to how the club is typically seen. AS indicated Marcelino had clashed with members of the board over summer signings and control of transfer-market activity.
President Fernando Roig later insinuated that the Asturian's departure was also influenced by his controversial declaration ahead of last season's final day that he wanted his old club Sporting Gijon to stay up amid a relegation scrap. His team were playing them in that final round. Villarreal subsequently fielded an enormously under-strength side; they lost and Sporting stayed up. It was messy and ill-thought and became the backdrop for other niggles.
"It's a question of principles at Villarreal, no one can go against the values that this club stands for," said Roig.
This was all days before the team's date with AS Monaco in the Champions League play-offs. In a hurry, Fran Escriba was appointed, his task an unenviable one with no preparation. Last seen being sacked by Getafe as they headed for relegation, Escriba at his presentation admitted the call "was a surprise." Most agreed, regression seemingly inevitable. Instead, though, progress has followed.
After two early draws, Escriba's outfit have claimed six wins in nine while looking like a slight reimagining of Marcelino's incarnation. Much of the former manager's template has been retained, and that's important.
Though critics might argue he's simply benefited from his predecessor's work, Escriba has been smart in resisting the urge to put his own distinct stamp on the club. He's recognised its strengths, the solid foundation in place.
"Our style of play is similar to that which Villarreal has been developing over several years," he said on the day of his unveiling. "Our idea is to continue this project. The main thing is to make the most of the quality that this team has."
That quality has its roots in a slick, counter-attacking style that starts with solidity at the back. No defensive unit in Spain outside Atletico Madrid's is as settled as Mario Gaspar, Victor Ruiz, Mateo Musacchio and Jaume Costa. In front of them in midfield, Bruno Soriano and Manu Trigueros provide more continuity, and it shows.
Villarreal own La Liga's best defensive record to date. They've conceded only seven goals in 11 games, eight fewer than Sampaoli's red-hot Sevilla. They're organised and compact, supremely comfortable in a 4-4-2 that starts deep before expanding. And yet look at the goals-for column: 19, the same as Sevilla.
The knock on Marcelino's Villarreal was that they were a little too cautious. The talent was there, but it sometimes felt constrained or shackled. Escriba has just loosened the reins a touch.
The manager has spoken about taking limits away from players, insisting the team's path to improvement lies in attack. "Having players like Trigueros, Jonathan [Dos Santos] and Bruno and limiting them to staying tight and defending is using less them for less than what they’re capable of doing," he said after his side's 5-0 bulldozing of Celta Vigo.
2015-16
2016-17
Goals
1.16
1.73
Shots
9.0
10.5
Shots on Target
3.5
3.9
Passes
410.7
428.3
Key Passes
6.7
7.0
Possession (%)
47.1
47.8
Players have also spoken of a slight shift in emphasis and style. Mario's mention of greater "freedom" encapsulated the way Villarreal look and feel right now. Goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo expressed the same sentiment, adding that greater tactical "variation"—Escriba has switched to a 4-2-3-1 at times—was making them more competitive than ever.
Players, of course, are almost obligated to be positive publicly, but the words aren't empty. Villarreal are attacking with greater fluency and incision this term. Across the board, they're up in goals, shots, shots on target, possession, passes and key passes.
Perhaps that shouldn't surprise either. Villarreal's options suddenly look both extremely talented and deep. Cedric Bakambu is becoming one of the league's best strikers, and new forward Nicola Sansone is making a case for signing of the season. Behind them, Alexandre Pato is waiting for his chances and the poacher-turned-facilitator Roberto Soldado is still to come back from injury.
Wider options are just as impressive. Despite making a slower start than Sansone, fellow new signing Roberto Soriano has blossomed in recent weeks against Celta, Las Palmas and Betis. Samu Castillejo has also kicked on after a bedding-in period last season, and former Real Madrid winger Denis Cheryshev is available too.
So how far can they go? It's important to remember that schedule plays a large part in the complexion of the league table in the campaign's early months. Villarreal's fixture list has been on the gentle side, but they did take a well-earned point from Madrid at the Bernabeu and were comfortably the better team in a 0-0 draw at home with Sevilla, when the visitors needed a blinder from goalkeeper Sergio Rico to leave unscathed.
But as Sevilla have done their thing audaciously since, Villarreal's quieter excellence has grabbed significantly less attention. That's in part due to club size, history, stadium, style, recent success and the identity of the man on the touchline.
Sampaoli and his mantra of rebellion has given the Andalusians an Atletico-y feel. Stylistically they're very different, but there are parallels between Sevilla now and the early stages of Diego Simeone's reign in the capital: an aggressive Argentinian manager, building through the Europa League before staring down the big guns amid an absence of fear.
Villarreal are further back on the evolutionary curve, but the raw facts say something: Third on the table, best defence in the league and a significantly better goal difference than the side who are the talk of La Liga.
If there's something building at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, then there's something happening at El Madrigal, too.
Denis Cheryshev to Villarreal: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More
Jun 15, 2016
Real Madrid's Russian midfielder Denis Cheryshev warms up before the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Getafe CF at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on December 5, 2015. AFP PHOTO / CURTO DE LA TORRE / AFP / CURTO DE LA TORRE (Photo credit should read CURTO DE LA TORRE/AFP/Getty Images)
Real Madrid winger Denis Cheryshev has completed a return to Villarreal, the club has confirmed.
Continue for updates.
Cheryshev Agrees El Madrigal Return
Wednesday, June 15
According to Villarreal's official website, Cheryshev will move to El Madrigal on permanent terms after entering the final year of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The club celebrated the return of the winger, who spent the 2014-15 season on loan at El Madrigal, on its official Twitter account:
Cheryshev joined the Castilla academy in 2002 and climbed the Real Madrid ranks before making his senior debut for the club a decade later, but his time at the Bernabeu appears to be at its end.
The Russia winger managed to make just seven first-team appearances for Los Merengues in the four years since he earned his senior Real Madrid debut and scored one goal for the club.
It was reported by J. Mata of Spanish newspaper AS in June that Cheryshev was closing in on a return to Villarreal, with the two clubs having reportedly patched up the wounds of last season's Copa del Rey mix-up.
It was Cheryshev who came on as an ineligible player for Los Blancos against Cadiz in the round of 32, leading to Real's disqualification from the competition.
According to Mata, the relationship between the two outfits broke down as Real blamed Villarreal for neglecting to inform them the 25-year-old was suspended from a match the previous season while he was on loan at El Madrigal.
Having failed to prove his credentials in the capital, Cheryshev will now hope the move will provide the chances he needs to thrive with Villarreal and show Real what they're missing out on.
Tomas Pina Scores Crazy Goal for Villarreal to Win Europa League Tie vs. Napoli
Feb 25, 2016
Pina, stop that! Was it a cross or shot? Either which, it's a goal for Villarreal!
The goal of the night in the Europa League was scored in Italy, where Tomas Pina sent Villarreal through at the expense of Napoli.
It's been a dominant week or so for Spanish sides in European competition, and the 28-year-old ensured Villarreal weren't on their way out with an equaliser on the night that put his side 2-1 up on aggregate, a lead they would not relinquish.
Cross? Shot? You be the judge, but Pina won't care much.
[Twitter]
Tottenham Flop Roberto Soldado Scores a Beauty, Assists 2 More for Villarreal
Roberto Soldado's still got it...at least when he plays in Spain.
The Spaniard became a star with Valencia, so much so that Tottenham Hotspur splashed out a club-record fee of £26 million to bring him to White Hart Lane in 2013.
But he went on to score only seven goals in 52 appearances with the north London club and was generally considered a bit of a flop.
But he's made his La Liga return a triumphant one, so far, as he's scored in each of his two games with Villarreal, with the opening goal of their win over Espanyol a beautiful one.
He also assisted both of their other goals, as they won the match 3-1.
Why Villarreal Wonderkid Nahuel Leiva Is Coveted by Both Spain and Argentina
Aug 29, 2014
VALENCIA, SPAIN - AUGUST 24: Villarreal CF fans gives support to their team during the la Liga match between Levante UD and Villarreal CF at Ciutat de Valencia on August 24, 2014 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
They must be putting something in the water in the Argentine city of Rosario. Not content with providing almost a third of the Albiceleste squad that came so close to World Cup glory, the metropolis located in Santa Fe province is already busy providing the next generation of football talent.
The big question for the nation, however, is whether the latest gem to emerge from the Cradle of the Argentine flag will put on the famous blue-and-white shirt, or whether Nahuel Leiva will succumb to a nasty bout of the Furia Roja.
Leiva, 17, charted a similar path to fellow Rosarinos Lionel Messi and Mauro Icardi to Spanish football. His family left Argentina when he was 12, and he quickly found a place as a midfielder in the Villarreal youth ranks. Since then, his rise has been meteoric.
2014/15 looks set to be a breakout year for the kid. He may have only played six games in the Yellow Submarine's first team, but Thursday saw him net his first goal as he rounded off a 4-0 drubbing of Astana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9HDlZ52xSE
Taking his cue from new arrival, ex-Racing Club striker and compatriot Luciano Vietto, Leiva timed his run perfectly to pick up a fine ball from the new boy, who had already marked his intentions with a Europa League double. The Argentine duo played a neat one-two, and the teenager continued his run into the box and finished coolly to celebrate a landmark moment.
It is an image you will doubtless be seeing much more often in the coming season.
Leiva plays as a central midfielder with license to break forward at will, which allied to his exceptional passing range makes him a tremendous box-to-box prospect. There is another secret weapon in his armoury: a fearsome shot which has seen the youngster net more than a handful of times in Villarreal's youth divisions.
Those talents have not gone unnoticed. A profile released by Argentine daily La Nacion earlier this year detailed the Spanish Football Federation's efforts to tempt Leiva into representing the European nation over his native land. According to the article, just two weeks after his full debut in La Liga the midfielder saw a citizenship request fast-tracked, making him eligible for the Roja.
The implications are clear: After missing out on Messi as a teenager, Spain are not prepared to give up the latest Rosario wonderkid to land on their shores without a bitter fight.
But neither will Argentina. Under-20 coach Humberto Grondona is in contact with Leiva, and the Albiceleste will do everything possible to keep the prospect close to his home nation.
The Albiceleste are aware of the threat posed by dual citizenship and players based abroad, part of the reason why Icardi's official international debut was rushed through in a qualifying match against Uruguay to protect the country against probes made by Italy at the end of 2013.
Who will Leiva choose? It is probably too early to say, and in any case the question is probably detrimental for the young star. His first steps in Villarreal have shown that he is a real talent, and if he can continue on the right path he could be starring at international level for either one of the football powerhouses in a few years.
Why New Villarreal Signing Luciano Vietto Is Among La Liga's Top Prospects
Jul 31, 2014
Racing Club's Luciano Vietto, left, vies for the ball with Victor Ayala of Lanus at a Copa Sudamericana soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia)
The route to football stardom from Argentina to Spain is well established. Current national team superstars Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano represent La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, while the brilliant Lionel Messi moved a little earlier than most, crossing the Atlantic barely into his teenage years.
But those three giants are just the tip of the iceberg. From the late Alfredo Di Stefano onward, Argentine talent has always played a massive part in ensuring that Spanish football is one of the most cosmopolitan, technical and exciting on the planet.
This transfer window has brought a new group of hopefuls over to Europe with the dream of emulating their predecessors and finding glory. And out of that select few, new Villarreal recruit Luciano Vietto is a player that deserves to be watched very closely indeed.
According to the Buenos Aires Herald, the Yellow Submarine put up €5.5 million to take the 20-year-old striker away from Racing Club, the team which handed Vietto a first-team spot while just a teenager. With Bruno Zuculini heading to Manchester City and Valencia swooping for Rodrigo De Paul, the move means that the Avellaneda club have sold three of their young gems in the current transfer window.
So what are Villarreal receiving for what is, in Argentine football terms, their hefty outlay?
The numbers sell Vietto a little short. Since Diego Simeone handed him his La Academia debut in 2011, the striker made 73 appearances for Racing with the modest return of 18 goals. But this statistic is a little misleading.
Nobody in La Academia suffered more during the last 12 months than Vietto as the club lurched from crisis to crisis. At one point, Racing went through five coaches in 11 games after a nightmare start to the 2013 Inicial tournament, while club manager Roberto Ayala and president Gaston Cogorno also resigned during an institutional storm that inevitably had repercussions on the pitch.
Club legend Reinaldo Merlo steadied the ship a little, but his dour, negative football was ineffective in taking Racing from the foot of the table. The Inicial tournament finished with the club in 19th place, and the final was little better as Racing jumped up just one spot to 18th.
If not for the vagaries of Argentina's average points system, the team would have been relegated, while Vietto seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders as he contributed just five goals across the two half-seasons.
Luckily Villarreal recognise that while form is temporary, class is permanent.
Used correctly, Vietto is capable of so much more. He is an intelligent, hard-working second striker, adept at dropping deep and linking up with the midfield before bursting into the area.
Much of his strife during that nightmare with Racing last year stemmed from the fact that he was left isolated in an ill-suited centre-forward role. If the Yellow Submarine can avoid that mistake, they may be able to get the best out of their new signing.
Vietto can score with both feet and his head. He has no fear when it comes to taking people on, but his best asset is his brain. If the pass is on to a better-situated team-mate, he will take it.
If he can establish himself early in the Villarreal ranks and break into the first-team, it could be an excellent season for both team and player.
Manuel Preciado: Death of Popular Manager Shocks Spanish Football Community
Jun 7, 2012
Popular Spanish manager and former footballer Manuel Preciado died of a heart attack on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. Before his tragic passing, the longtime Sporting Gijon boss was set to become the new head man at Villarreal after an unveiling on June 8.
News of Preciado's death spread quickly throughout the football community.
It was a sobering moment for everyone, including members of the Spanish national team, who are currently in Poland preparing for the start of Euro 2012.
Midfielder Juan Mata was one of several people who spoke glowingly about the football lifer:
The truth is that this is difficult to digest. I always remember him smiling, as a happy person that transmitted his passion, joy and character to all his teams.
Talking about him in the past tense is tough for me.
Preciado had just reached an agreement with El Submarino Amarillo on Wednesday to take over for Miguel Angel Lotina, but he was never able to enjoy his introduction to the club.
The 54-year-old former defender was supposed to bring some stability to the position after Villarreal went through four managers in a span of three years. The team had just been relegated after a disappointing campaign, and ownership pinpointed him as the person to get them back to La Liga.
His engaging personality made him a lot of friends throughout the game over the years, as evidenced by the outpouring of kind words since his death.
Several players, including Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas, took to Twitter to express condolences.
I can't believe the bad news i just woke up with. Hugs for the family of Manolo Preciado. RIP my friend.
— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) June 7, 2012
"Manolo" was Preciado's nickname. He started his playing career with Racing Santander in 1977 and made six stops before retiring in 1992. Three years later, he took his first manager position with Gimnastica and began working his way up the ranks.
He bounced around quite a bit before settling in with Sporting Gijon.
Preciado spent more than five seasons with Rojiblancos before getting let go last season. It didn't take long for Villarreal to give him a new opportunity.
Sadly, it's an opportunity he never got to enjoy.
Jose Francisco Molina Begins Villarreal Salvage Job with Win over Sporting Gijon
Jan 24, 2012
After nearly a decade of upsetting the odds, by torpedoing bigger clubs in Spain and across Europe, Villarreal—the Yellow Submarine—have been taking on water all season.
On Monday they beat fellow strugglers Sporting Gijon 3-0 at home, ending a run of 10 matches in all competitions without a win.
That dire spell saw Juan Carlos Garrido removed as coach, with Jose Francisco Molina promoted from his role with the club’s reserves on December 22.
The arrival of Molina, a former goalkeeper with Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna, looked set to herald an instant improvement, as Villarreal led Valencia 2-0 at home in his first league match in charge.
But they conceded twice, including an 87th-minute equaliser, as the winless run continued, followed by a 3-0 loss away to Atletico.
On Monday the El Madrigal faithful, so used to seeing their team match it with the best in Europe, finally had a reason to smile in 2011/12.
It took moments of brilliance from Marco Ruben, Borja Valero and Bruno to seal the points, their well-taken goals lighting up an otherwise unremarkable affair.
The long-awaited victory saw Villarreal climb above Sporting and Granada into 17th place, out of the relegation zone at long last.
The question now is, with exactly half the league season remaining, can Molina keep the Yellow Submarine afloat?
The prospect of relegation back to the second tier would have been unthinkable as recently as last season.
Villarreal only reached Spain’s top tier for the first time in 1998, making an instant return to the Segunda Division.
But they were back again in 2000, this time for good.
And when Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini took the helm in 2004, El Submarino Amarillo really began to make waves among Spanish football’s traditional elite.
Turning the compact, hostile El Madrigal into a fortress, Villarreal finished third in '04/'05, fifth in '06/'07 and second in '07/'08, eight points behind champions Real Madrid and a now-unthinkable 10 ahead of Barcelona.
Inspired by Argentine playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, the team also made it to the semifinals of the Champions League in 2005/06, losing 1-0 on aggregate to Arsenal.
Pellegrini produced one more fifth-place La Liga finish in 2008/09 before being tempted by the poisoned chalice at Real.
His successor, Ernesto Valverde, lasted just half a season before Garrido was called upon to step up from reserve team duties.
A long-term servant of the club, Garrido salvaged seventh place in '09/'10, improving on that with fourth last season.
He also guided the team to the semifinals of the Europa League, where they lost to eventual winners Porto.
To the casual observer, all seemed well at the improbable success story that has been Villarreal in the 21st century.
But, as the laws of football dictate, a relative minnow cannot achieve such sustained success without attracting unwanted attention.
As well as the loss of Pellegrini, Villarreal have uncovered several hidden gems, only to see them lured away by the bright lights of Europe’s top clubs.
In 2009 Valverde allowed Chile midfielder Matias Fernandez to leave for Liga Sagres heavyweights Sporting Lisbon.
The following year, Uruguayan centre-back Diego Godin joined Atletico for eight million euros.
In the most recent offseason, Malaga’s new-found riches secured the services of Santi Cazorla, while World Cup-winning fullback Joan Capdevila joined Benfica.
During that time the club’s hierarchy have attempted to offset those losses with acquisitions such as Jonathan de Guzman, Cristian Zapata, Nilmar and Carlos Marchena.
Some stalwarts of the glory days remain, including veteran midfielder Marcos Senna and Italy striker Giuseppe Rossi.
The loss of Rossi to an ACL knee ligament injury in October has been a key factor in the team’s struggles this season.
With Nilmar also struck down by knee trouble, the goal-scoring burden has largely fallen to Marco Ruben.
Rossi is not expected back until April at the earliest, meaning Molina must make do with any resources at his disposal while also fending off reported interest in Nilmar from Europe and Brazil.
Monday’s victory over Sporting will provide the team with a much-needed morale boast, and a club battling for survival might now be expected to target a run of form as they look to pull clear of the bottom three.
On Saturday Villarreal are at home again, and have a chance to record two victories in succession for the first time this season.
But to do so will mean beating La Liga and European champions Barcelona. Time for the captain and crew of the Yellow Submarine to batten down the hatches.
