Football: Villarreal president Roig backs new coach Perez ahead of La Liga season
Madrid, Aug 6 (IANS) Villarreal president Fernando Roig is excited about the forthcoming La Liga season and hopes the club can build on last year’s campaign under new coach Inigo Perez.
Villarreal finished third in La Liga last season to qualify for the Champions League for the second consecutive year, although coach Marcelino Garcia Toral later left and was replaced by Perez, reports Xinhua.
“We have a new project with a new coach, and it’s very exciting. He’s a young and very hard-working manager. I think we have a better squad than last season,” said Roig at a press conference, where he highlighted the return of left-back Carlos Romero following a successful loan spell with Espanyol.
“He was the best full-back in La Liga last season,” said Roig, who also stressed the importance of Villarreal’s youth system.
The club president said he was delighted with the appointment of the 38-year-old Perez, who guided Rayo Vallecano to the Conference League final last season.
“He’s arrived eager to work and achieve important things. He and his coaching staff will lead us to good results,” commented Roig, who stressed that one objective was to improve on last season’s disappointing Champions League campaign, in which Villarreal suffered seven defeats and managed just one draw in the group stage.
“It’s very important, and it would be even better if we could qualify for three years in a row. That’s the goal we have to set for next year,” he concluded.
Earlier, Villarreal signed veteran Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig, the Spanish club’s first arrival of the summer transfer window.
The 36-year-old has signed a two-year contract after Villarreal reportedly paid about 1 million euros (1.2 million U.S. dollars) to Leipzig for his transfer.
Gulacsi leaves Leipzig after making 362 appearances across 11 seasons following his move from Red Bull Salzburg in 2015. He began his professional career at Liverpool but did not make a senior appearance for the Premier League club, spending time on loan at Tranmere Rovers and Hull City.
–IANS
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