Villarreal

Villarreal news

Champions League league phase W+Ls GFX

Winners & losers of the Champions League league phase

The Champions League league phase drew to a predictably chaotic conclusion on Wednesday, with all of the matchday eight fixtures kicking-off at the same time. The net result was numerous positional changes over the course of 90-plus minutes of madness, though the highlight was undoubtedly Anatoliy Trubin scoring a last-second header to keep Benfica in the competition.

Alex Freeman GFX

USMNT's Freeman reportedly set for $7million Villarreal transfer

U.S. men’s national team fullback Alex Freeman is reportedly set to sign with Villarreal, with the Spanish side prepared to pay up to $7 million to Orlando City. The move would cap a breakout 2025 in which Freeman’s form saw him rise from MLS prospect to USMNT regular and emerging World Cup hopeful, while also drawing sustained European interest.

Winners and losers of the weekend GFX

Endrick, Yamal, Slot and Europe's big winners & losers

Bayern Munich's unbeaten record in this season's Bundesliga is gone! The Bavarians were upset at the Allianz Arena by Augsburg, although the German champions are still eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table, meaning it's unlikely to adversely affect their chances of retaining their title. However, things are getting very interesting in England, where we thought Arsenal were almost home and hosed only to suffer a wobble that has made things very interesting, given Manchester City and Aston Villa are both closing in on the Gunners.

Real Madrid CF v Real Betis Balompie - La Liga EA Sports

Mbappe dedicates successful Panenka to Brahim after Madrid win

Kylian Mbappe dedicated his successful Panenka penalty against Villarreal to Real Madrid team-mate Brahim Diaz following his Africa Cup of Nations nightmare. The Morocco international had a brilliant AFCON but crucially missed his Panenka spot-kick in their final loss to Senegal. Nearly a week on from that heartbreak, Mbappe paid tribute to the 26-year-old at Villarreal in a 2-0 win.

Real Madrid Villarreal GFX

Kylian Mbappe bags two to send Madrid top of La Liga

Kylian Mbappe scored two and Real Madrid were solid defensively in a relatively uneventful 2-0 win over Villarreal. Los Blancos were far from brilliant, but they were effective, and grabbed two second-half goals to secure a victory that sent them top of La Liga for at least 24 hours, ahead of rivals Barcelona playing Oviedo on Sunday afternoon, with the chance to put themselves back at the summit.

Cadiz CF v Villarreal CF - LaLiga EA Sports

'Barca took four years to pay me!' - Ex-coach slams La Liga club

Former Barcelona manager Quique Setien has revealed that the Catalan giants took nearly four years to finally settle his unpaid wages following his dismissal in 2020. The 67-year-old opened up on the staggering delay while also dropping a bombshell regarding a separate, ongoing legal battle with another La Liga club that has left him waiting for a settlement for almost three years.

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Spurs boss Frank faces January dilemma over unwanted loan ace

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank faces a dilemma over unwanted loan ace as the January transfer window approaches. Spurs signed Israel international Manor Solomon in 2023, who played at the north London club only for a season before heading out on loan to Leeds United last season. He was once again sent out on a second loan spell at Villarreal on deadline day of the last summer transfer window.

Hansi Flick

Flick speaks out after losing vital Barcelona star to injury

Unhappy Hansi Flick spoke out after losing key Barcelona star Pedri to injury ahead of their crucial La Liga clash with Villarreal on Sunday. The Spain international has had fitness issues since suffering a left hamstring injury in El Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26. He had earlier remained sidelined for five matches across all competitions last month and had missed the November international break.

Wilfried Zaha Ivory Coast 2019

Zaha recalled to Ivory Coast squad for AFCON - but Pepe misses out

Wilfried Zaha is returning to the Ivory Coast fold after a prolonged spell away, with the 33-year-old earning a surprise recall for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. The Charlotte FC winger had been absent from the national team squad for two years, having initially slipped out of contention following disagreements with former coach Patrice Beaumelle. As a consequence, Zaha missed Les Éléphants' triumphant campaign on home soil in 2023.

GFX Javier Tebas Florentino Perez

La Liga president accuses Madrid of hypocrisy over NFL match

La Liga president Javier Tebas has hit out at Real Madrid for hosting an NFL game at the Santiago Bernabeu, accusing the club of hypocrisy after leading the protest against Barcelona’s proposed league fixture against Villarreal in Miami. Tebas said Madrid fought the idea 'as a crusade of integrity," yet welcomed the NFL to their iconic stadium.

FBL-ESP-LIGA-RACISM-VINICIUS

La Liga to sue players' union over 'illegal strike'

La Liga will take the Spanish players' union (AFE) to court, claiming player protests against the recently-cancelled Miami match were an 'illegal strike'. Union president David Aganzo denies this, citing a "lack of transparency." The fallout continues as a furious Villarreal CEO blames Florentino Perez and Real Madrid for the project's collapse, calling their opposition hypocritical.

Villarreal CF v RCD Espanyol - LaLiga Santander

'Lack of respect' - Villarreal rip La Liga for cancelling match

Villarreal expressed "deep displeasure" at La Liga for the decision to cancel a controversial match against Barcelona that was set to be held in Miami in December. The Yellow Submarine pointed to the league's lack of general organization for the event and said they were blindsided by Tuesday's announcement, which came during their Champions League match.

GFX Javier Tebas Florentino Perez

La Liga chief slams Real Madrid over cancelled Miami match

Javier Tebas has slammed the decision to cancel plans to host the match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami, branding it “narrow-minded” while accusing governing bodies and Real Madrid of sabotaging La Liga’s global ambitions. The league president insists Spanish football has “lost a historic opportunity” as backlash over the proposed fixture continues to divide opinion.

Real Madrid CF v RCD Espanyol de Barcelona - LaLiga EA Sports

Carvajal slams Miami plan amid La Liga’s U-turn

Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal has condemned La Liga’s plan to stage a league match in Miami, calling it “a clear distortion of the competition.” The controversial Villarreal vs Barcelona fixture, initially set for December 20 in the United States, was scrapped amid widespread backlash from players, fans, and clubs across Spain.

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Barca react to Miami match cancellation

Barcelona say they "accept and respect" La Liga's decision to cancel their proposed fixture against Villarreal in Miami. The game was set to be the first-ever La Liga match played outside Spain, but growing backlash from players, clubs and officials has forced organisers to scrap the plan just weeks before tickets were due to go on sale.

FC Barcelona v Girona FC - LaLiga EA Sports

Controversial Barcelona-Villarreal match in U.S. canceled

La Liga's proposed U.S. match between Barcelona and Villarreal, scheduled to be played in December in Miami, has been canceled, both the league and organizer Relevent confirmed on Tuesday. Both cited insufficient planning time and uncertainty in Spain as the reasons. The controversial match had drawn the ire of many fans and led to player protests.

Xabi Alonso Real Madrid 2025

Madrid make new attempt to block Barcelona’s Miami match

Real Madrid have escalated their opposition to La Liga’s Miami plan by filing a second complaint to the Higher Sports Council (CSD), aiming to stop the Villarreal vs Barcelona match from taking place in the United States. The club claims the overseas fixture breaches competition fairness, while the government and Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) navigate complex regulations before a final decision.

Frequently asked questions

Bournemouth were formed from the remains of a local club called Boscombe St. John's Institute Football Club and was renamed to Boscombe F.C. in 1899. More than 20 years later, the club changed its name to Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club, before renaming themselves to AFC Bournemouth in 1971. Fun fact: the 'AFC' in AFC Bournemouth is not an abbreviation, it's just a part of the name.

American businessman Bill Foley, in a partnership with Cannae Holdings Inc, completed the total takeover of Bournemouth in December 2022. Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan and Kosmos Founder Nullah Sarker lead the minority ownership group.

Bournemouth's stadium is the Dean Court, commonly known as Vitality Stadium for sponsorship reasons. Bournemouth have been playing their games at this venue since December 1910.

Vitality Stadium has a capacity of 11,307, making it the second-smallest ground in Premier League history in terms of capacity, behind Luton Town's Kenilworth Road.

Bournemouth have not won a single major trophy yet.

Bournemouth have not won any Premier League / first division titles throughout their history. However, they bagged 48 points in the 2023-24 campaign, their best-ever tally.

Cherries legend Steve Fletcher, who spent 19 years of his 24-year playing career at Bournemouth, is the club's record-appearance maker. Fletcher, a forward by trade, made 728 appearances for the club and scored 121 goals.

Ron Eyre scored 229 goals in 378 games for Bournemouth between 1924 and 1933, making him the club's all-time top scorer.

Dominic Solanke, Aaron Ramsdale, Callum Wilson, Nathan Ake, Jermain Defoe, Eddie Howe, and Gavin Peacock are some of the most famous players to have played for Bournemouth. The club even managed to sign George Best at one point!

Harry Redknapp, Sean O'Driscoll, and Eddie Howe are among Bournemouth's most prominent managers ever.

Bournemouth are nicknamed The Cherries. While there's some debate regarding the origins of the nickname, it is widely believed that it is based on the cherry-red striped jerseys that the team plays in. Secondly, it is also believed that the nickname is derived from the cherry orchards in the Cooper-Dean Estate, located right next to Dean Court.