Inigo Perez has taken over as manager of Villarreal, and he has a tough act to follow after Marcelino led the Yellow Submarine to third place in the 2025-26 La Liga table, its highest position since 2013.
The 38-year-old arrives at Estadio de la Ceramica with a quickly earned reputation, having taken Rayo Vallecano to the UEFA Conference League final, and now he’s picked up a prestigious job among the La Liga elite. He’s been in the hot seat for seven weeks now, and while there have been incomings and outgoings in the Villarreal squad, there have been no major moves. Now that the 2026 World Cup is over, Perez will try to hone a squad capable of challenging in both Spain and Europe.
While they had a stellar season in La Liga, the Yellow Submarine sank without a trace in the Champions League last term, finishing 35th of 36 at the Group League stage, drawing one and losing seven of their eight games. And that is where Perez has the margin to improve on his predecessor.
He took over at Vallecano in 2024, and with a win ratio of 39-per cent, Perez established Los Franjirrojos as a strong upper mid-table club, finishing eighth in the 2025-26 and losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace in their first-ever European final.
Perez has got his chance after Marcelino’s contract negotiations broke down, and now the serious business begins with just three weeks to go until Villarreal kick off with a trip to newly promoted Racing Santander.
The big players who can compete at the top
Perez inherits a team with plenty of experience in the Spanish top-flight. And while the pre-season
La Liga 2026 betting odds here at SBOTOP say Villarreal will battle it out for fourth place with Real Betis, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Bilbao, these players have already gatecrashed the top three, so who is to say they can’t do it again?
The Yellow Submarine is captained by 34-year-old Gerard Moreno. The club stalwart was at the Ceramica between 2012 and 2015, and after a stint at Espanyol he returned in 2018, scoring 88 goals in 210 appearances since. 18 times capped by Spain, most recently in 2024, Moreno may be in the twilight of his career, but he is still a super leader of the line.
Alongside Moreno, 2025 recruit Georges Mikautadze scored 13 goals in 32 games, and his pace and direct running make him a perfect partner for his skipper, while he can also play on the flanks. Veteran striker Ayoze Perez provides more competition for places up front with 24 goals in 55 games, while winger Nicolas Pepe showed he is an explosive player with the Ivory Coast at the World Cup.
In midfield, Villarreal have Senegalese star Pape Gueye as an anchor in front of the defence. He has been a key player over the past two campaigns and has weighed in with nine useful goals, and he provides protection for the back four, where we see Juan Foyth and Renato Veiga at the heart of defence.
Foyth has become part of the leadership team at Villarreal, able to play at right-back as well as in the middle, and he seems to be kicking his habit of collecting yellow and red cards, which he developed at Tottenham Hotspur. 22-year-old Portugal star Veiga is a player to watch with a bright future ahead of him. With 18 caps for Portugal already and 32 appearances for Villarreal last season, he is establishing himself as a dominant and ball-playing centre-back. Perez has plenty to work with.
The rivals who hope to sink the Submarine
The new manager knows full well that his task is to maintain the momentum that Marcelino built up at the club. But as a realist, he’ll expect the El Clasico pair to fight it out for the Primera Division title.
It’s all about La Liga 2026 news results, and if the new man can match his predecessor, then he’ll get plenty of credit, and a run in Europe to go with that will make Perez a very popular man.
It won’t be easy, particularly with Real Sociedad resurgent and their talisman Mikel Oyarzabal starring at the World Cup and Athletic Bilbao unlikely to make as slow a start as they did in 2025, while Atletico Madrid will be determined to grasp back a Top 3 place. But both Villarreal and their new manager come off the back of an excellent campaign, and they will fear no one.
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