Former La Liga hardman and Valencia captain David Albelda has returned to management at Villarreal, less than an hour up the road from Mestalla in Castellon. The 46-year-old has signed on to be the Villarreal C coach until the end of the season.
Albelda spent time on loan at the Yellow Submarine on two separate occasions, initially in 1996, and then again in 1998-99, before going on to win La Liga with and captain Los Che. It will be his second experience in management, after a two-year spell at Atzeneta, another local side in the Valencian community.
There he managed to earn promotion to the Segunda RFEF, the fourth tier in Spain, but resigned after they were relegated the season after. At Villarreal, he will have a strong foundation to develop his coaching skills – the Yellow Submarine now produce some of the best players and best coaches in Spain, having invested heavily in their academy over the past two decades.
