Villarreal marks Fernando Roig’s 30 years with a full-season tribute

Fernando Roig has hit 30 years as Villarreal president, and the club won’t treat it as a one-off celebration: it will be marked “throughout the 2026/27 season”, according to MARCA.

As MARCA explains, Roig becomes the longest-serving active top-league club president across Europe’s big five, ahead of figures like Ángel Torres, Enrique Cerezo, Florentino Pérez, Claudio Lotito and Aurelio De Laurentiis.

A milestone with context

The article places the start of the era in May 1997, when Roig became the club’s top shareholder and set a bold goal: getting Villarreal to LaLiga in “two years’ time”. That target looked nearly impossible at the time, but it was achieved in just a season.

Growth through the top tier

MARCA’s timeline highlights major achievements along the way: in 2004, Villarreal reached the UEFA semi-finals; in 2006 they climbed to the Champions League semis; and that same decade ended with a LaLiga runners-up finish.

The report also points to the club’s ability to stay among the elite over the years thanks to financial balance, “head-first” investment and a strong youth pathway backed by infrastructure. Examples mentioned include the European title in Gdansk and the 2022 Champions League semi-finals against Liverpool.

Special logo and content

To celebrate the occasion, Villarreal has unveiled a special logo that will feature alongside a series of activations and content across 2026/27. MARCA notes too that the club is beginning to look toward a historic benchmark: Santiago Bernabéu’s 35 years as Real Madrid president.