Editing Villarreal CF (section)

===2012–present: relegation and European glory===
[[File:Villarreal CF - UD Almería (2012-13).JPG|thumb|300px|Last match of the 2012–13 season game against [[UD Almería]]. Finally, Villarreal won and were promoted to La Liga.]]

[[File:DeportivoVillarreal.JPG|thumb|300px|[[Deportivo de La Coruña]] vs. Villarreal C. F.]]

On 13 May 2012, Villarreal were relegated from La Liga after defeat to [[Atlético Madrid]]. Following a horrendous season, the club suffered a shattering tragedy when [[Manuel Preciado Rebolledo|Manolo Preciado]], appointed as Villarreal's new manager on 6 June 2012, died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] later that day.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/8019954/manuel-preciado-coach-villarreal-dies-one-day-taking-job |title=Manuel Preciado dies suddenly at 54 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=7 June 2012 |access-date=7 June 2012 |archive-date=8 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608152821/http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/8019954/manuel-preciado-coach-villarreal-dies-one-day-taking-job |url-status=live }}</ref> Following their relegation, there was a mass exodus of players at the club, with star players such as [[Borja Valero]], [[Diego López Rodríguez|Diego López]], [[Giuseppe Rossi]] and [[Nilmar]] leaving the side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3985/editorial/2012/07/11/3234197/rossi-nilmar-zapata-the-stars-who-could-leave-in-villarreal-fire-|title=Rossi, Nilmar, Zapata & the Villarreal players who could leave in fire sale at El Madrigal this summer - Goal.com|publisher=Goal|access-date=24 July 2012|archive-date=22 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131222045722/http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3985/editorial/2012/07/11/3234197/rossi-nilmar-zapata-the-stars-who-could-leave-in-villarreal-fire-|url-status=live}}</ref>

After one year in the Segunda División, Villarreal were promoted back to La Liga on the [[2012–13 Segunda División|final day of the season]] after finishing the year second after champions [[Elche CF|Elche]]. The team began its new tenure in the top flight by winning its first three games; the winning streak ended with a tie against Real Madrid at El Madrigal, though the team was undefeated until falling to [[Real Betis]] 1–0 on the seventh matchday of the season. The Yellow Submarine finished the [[2013–14 La Liga|2013–14 campaign]] in sixth, thus qualifying them for next season's [[2014–15 UEFA Europa League|Europa League]].

In [[2014–15 La Liga|2014–15]], Villarreal again finished the year in sixth, enough to secure direct qualification to the [[2015–16 UEFA Europa League|Europa League]] group stage. In the [[2015–16 La Liga|2015–16]] season, Villarreal led La Liga for the first time during the sixth and seventh weeks, before falling to fifth place the following week. The club ended the season in 4th place and thus advanced to the [[2016–17 UEFA Champions League]] playoff round. The club progressed to the semi-finals of the 2015–16 Europa League, but were knocked out by [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. Villarreal won the first leg 1–0, but lost 3–0 in Liverpool and 3–1 on aggregate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/2017226--liverpool-vs-villarreal/ |title=Liverpool v Villarreal |publisher=UEFA |date=5 May 2016 |access-date=26 May 2021 |archive-date=26 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526230650/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/2017226--liverpool-vs-villarreal/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[2019–20 La Liga|2019–20]], Villarreal finished fifth, earning a place in the [[2020–21 UEFA Europa League]]. The team went on a memorable run, advancing to the [[2021 UEFA Europa League Final|final]] after knocking out [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] 2–1 on aggregate. Facing favoured [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], Villarreal held them to a 1–1 draw after extra time and then won 11–10 in a penalty shoot-out,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/villarreal-vs-man-united-result-europa-league-final-2021-david-de-gea-b937465.html|title=Manchester United lose Europa League final as Villarreal win penalty shootout after David de Gea miss|accessdate=26 May 2021|date=26 May 2021|website=[[Evening Standard]]|location=London|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526223700/https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/villarreal-vs-man-united-result-europa-league-final-2021-david-de-gea-b937465.html|url-status=live}}</ref> winning the club's first ever major trophy. Domestically, they finished seventh, supposedly qualifying for the [[2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League|inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League]]. However, courtesy of their triumph, Villarreal switched their next year's participation in the inaugural Conference League to the [[2021–22 UEFA Champions League|2021–22 Champions League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-Champions-League-2021/22/Article-3-Entries-for-the-competition-PublicationState|title=Regulations of the UEFA Champions League|publisher=UEFA|accessdate=27 May 2021|date=19 April 2021|archive-date=27 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527002018/https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-Champions-League-2021/22/Article-3-Entries-for-the-competition-PublicationState|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Dale |date=2021-07-06 |title=UEFA Europa Conference League: All you need to know |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37576934/all-need-know |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003160802/https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37576934/all-need-know |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-26 |title=Villarreal make it five Spanish clubs in 2021/22 Champions League |url=https://www.marca.com/en/football/champions-league/2021/05/27/60aecd5cca474171298b46a4.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=MARCA |language=en |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003160802/https://www.marca.com/en/football/champions-league/2021/05/27/60aecd5cca474171298b46a4.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the start of the 2021–22 season, Villarreal competed in the [[2021 UEFA Super Cup]] against [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in [[Belfast]], which ended a 1–1 draw after extra time, but [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] managed to win 6–5 in the penalty shootout as captain [[Raúl Albiol]] saw his penalty saved by [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] goalkeeper [[Kepa Arrizabalaga]]. That same season, Villarreal progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League after knocking out [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] in the round of 16 and [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] in the quarter-finals, before losing 5–2 on aggregate to Liverpool.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61300681 |title=Liverpool survive scare in Spain to reach final |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=5 May 2022 |archive-date=4 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504115638/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61300681 |url-status=live }}</ref>