THEY MAY NOT BE the biggest club in the world of football, but Villarreal's love for the beautiful game would reach the far corners of the world.
Their achievements may look miniscule especially when comparing them to local rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, but for the Yellow Submarine, there is more to football than just the trophies.
The ethos of Villarreal has always been about player development as seen from its numerous academies across the world, and recently they established one in the Philippines.
It may seem like a surprise since football gets overlooked in the Philippines, so what made a Spanish football club invested in a country that breathes basketball?
"The good thing about Villarreal is that this is more like an outreach program for them. Their vision and their community based culture is something that I found that we can use here in the Philippines," started Eumir Siao, the Director of Villarreal Philippines, to SPIN.ph.
He added: "Because the culture of Philippine football right now is not at the greatest level so it's something that the Villarreal community has worked together in having a better outcome in raising the level in the Philippines."
Emphasis on the grassroots
This may come off as a surprise but there are some similarities between the Philippines and Villarreal when it comes to football: both have a small population, who are optimistic about the growth of the game.
"With the same vision that Villarreal as a community, based in Spain, with 50,000 population, it's very similar to the niche here in the Philippines where it's very limited, but they're very optimistic with how the sport (football) will grow," reflected Siao.
This ultimately establishes a connection for the Yellow Submarine, and instead of being overwhelmed by the country's obsession with basketball, they saw something else.
"Instead of seeing that as a threat, we see that as an opportunity because in countries where football is very developed, they have strong methodologies and culture about football, in the other side in countries like the Philippines, where football is starting to develop," revealed Mar Llaneza, the Business Development Manager of Villarreal in an exclusive with SPIN.ph.
And given what they've discovered in the Philippines, what will be the club's approach in developing the country's football scene?
Llaneza has this to say: "We have a chance to start from the grassroots like this camp and show the players how we think a football philosophy should be, that is based especially in player development, always focused more on the playing, learning, and development, than more on the results and winning."
How does Villarreal develop world class talent?
Llaneza's comments would shed light as to why Villarreal has successfully produced world class talent, with Manchester City's Rodri being a prime example of their success.
Rodri is a central-defensive midfield hybrid, which is a rare breed in the world of football, and only a handful of names have reached legendary status in that role. For the Yellow Submarine to produce a quality player like Rodri speaks volumes on their ability to develop players.
So how does Villarreal produce a trophy-laden player like Rodri? According to Nano Marquez, the Villarreal CF Coach and Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Academies, it all boils down to the understanding of the game.
"Understanding the game is so important and you can see it from Rodri, who is one of the best in the world in that because we aren't developing players to succeed in Villarreal," he said.
"Of course that's what we want that they stay in our first team for years, but we also view success to have players like Rodri, who came from our academy, played for the first team, then left to Atletico Madrid then Manchester City."
A thorough understanding of the game requires a lot of tactical and technical prowess, something that Rodri is renowned for, and this will also guide them to be flexible, a trait that allows Villarreal products to thrive wherever they go. Some of Villarreal's academy products like Pau Torres, Santi Cazorla, Pervis Estupinan, and Pepe Reina, have played around numerous leagues, where they can adjust their game to suit their environment.
"They can adapt to different environments, different ways of playing, different leagues, and I think we focus more on that," emphasized Marquez.
Opening the doors
With the Yellow Submarine landing in the Philippines, comes the numerous opportunities that lie ahead. Players who attended the clinic from September 20-22 were given a chance to showcase their skills, and learn more about Villarreal's coaching philosphy.
Eventually, the floodgates will soon open up for aspirants.
"Our philosophy is based on giving a pathway to players so first of all there will be a permanent academy here with teams training and competing in different tournaments," revealed Mar Llaneza.
And there have been other plans that await Filipino players who attended the academy. There will be opportunities for our local prospects to travel abroad, which could offer a lot of learnings and experiences.
"Every year we bring at least two players and one coach to Spain for a week of experience, and in addition to this we have every year where teams come over to join tournaments in Spain, so the connection between our club in Spain and our club in the Philippines are very close," added Llaneza.
While these are promising signs ahead for the grassroots scene in Philippine football, Villarreal's journey will be a long process.
"We think that this takes time. This is something that we cannot change like for one season. At the end, we're trying to work as close as we can to the way we do in Spain. I think we're providing the kids here in the Philippines different experiences," said Marquez.
"Maybe here football isn't popular compared to Spain, but the way we work, we think that we can also work in this country so why not here? Start from the children and see how far we can get."
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
