Villarreal confirm appointment of fan favourite to replace Pacheta

Villarreal have appointed Marcelino as their new head coach after parting ways with Pacheta on Friday.

The Yellow Submarine are now on their third head coach of the season having already sacked Quique Setièn earlier in the season. Pacheta arrived inexperienced at this level, and it showed, with Villarreal failing to improve under his guide.

The Yellows have now turned to a familiar face in Marcelino, who managed the club between 2013 and 2016. During that time, he led the club to promotion back to the top flight and secured two top six finishes subsequently, including a top four finish.

His reign ended when he fell out with the board over Mateo Mussachio - among other things - but those hatchets have long since been buried.

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Since then, the Asturian has gone on to manage Valencia, Athletic Club and, very briefly, Marseille. He took charge of Marseille in the summer and resigned in September after the board of the French club failed to deliver promised transfers.

Marcelino now takes over Villarreal hoping to improve significantly on the efforts so far, with the Yellows eight points off the top six at this still early stage. The Yellows are om course to progress in the Europa League, however, and there is plenty of time to turn things around.

The 58-year-old has remained a fan favourite at Villarreal over the years, and his appointment will be met with approval..the high-energy, high-octane style of football will also be welcomed by supporters, as will his firm and unrelenting way of managing players, given previous managers have had issues with player power since the departure of Unai Emery.

Marcelino has signed a contract until the summer of 2026.