Villarreal officially announced this Monday the return of coach Marcelino García Toral, who will complete his second stage on the bench of the Castellón team.
Marcelino will sign for the remainder of the season and two more campaigns, until June 30, 2026, which certifies that his signing is a commitment to a long-term project.
After having dismissed coaches Quique Setién and Jose Rojo “Pacheta”, Marcelino is the third coach of the season for Villarreal, which is looking to react after a poor start to the season.
Marcelino's first stage at Villarreal spanned from the 12-13 season to the 16-17 season, when he was fired at the start.
The Asturian coach returns to a team that is in need and at the bottom of the standings, while in his first stage he took charge of a Villarreal in the Second Division that was far from promotion.
Marcelino is one of the most outstanding coaches in the club's history and his previous departure occurred more for personal reasons and wear and tear than for sporting reasons or results.
The Asturian coach returns to Villarreal with the same work team that he had in the previous stage, with his second Rubén Uría and his physical trainer Ismael Fernández.
Marcelino will be presented this Tuesday, shortly after leading his first work session at 10:30, although a second afternoon training session is planned at the José Manuel Llaneza sports city.
In his first stage at Villarreal, Marcelino achieved direct promotion to First Division the year of his arrival and in the following three seasons at the head of the team he achieved two consecutive qualifications for European competitions, reaching the semi-final round of the Europa League and the Copa del Rey and even qualified the yellow team for the previous round of the Champions League after finishing fourth in LaLiga.
In total, Marcelino was in charge of Villarreal for 177 games.
Throughout his professional career, Marcelino has managed Sporting de Gijón, Recreativo de Huelva, Racing de Santander, Real Zaragoza, Sevilla, Valencia, Athletic Club and Olympique de Marsella, a club that he left this past September due to extra-sports pressures.
