Villarreal CF in European football

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Villarreal CF in European football (short version)

Villarreal Club de Fútbol is a Spanish team that has competed in European competitions since 2002. Known as El Submarino Amarillo (the Yellow Submarine), they have played in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, the UEFA Cup/Europa League, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa Conference League, and the UEFA Super Cup. Their first major European trophy came in 2021 when they won the UEFA Europa League, beating Manchester United on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Key moments
- 2005-06: In their first Champions League campaign, Villarreal reached the semi-finals, beating Rangers on away goals and then losing to Arsenal in the semi-final.
- 2008-09: They reached the knockout stage again but were eliminated by Arsenal in the Round of 16.
- 2010-11: They made the Europa League semi-finals, where they were knocked out by Porto.
- 2020-21: Villarreal won the Europa League, defeating Manchester United on penalties in the final to claim their first major European trophy.
- 2021-22: They returned to the Champions League, finished second in their group, beat Juventus in the Round of 16 and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, and reached the semi-finals before losing to Liverpool.
- 2022-23 and beyond: They played in the Europa Conference League and then returned to the Europa League, reaching knockout rounds in subsequent campaigns.

Overall
Villarreal’s European story is notable for a smaller club matching big teams on big stages, with deep runs in the Champions League and a Europa League title in 2021.