Villarreal CF on Monday, 1 June 2025 officially confirmed Inigo Perez as their new first-team head coach, with the 38-year-old signing a three-year contract running through to the end of June 2029. Perez arrives at the Yellow Submarine as one of Spanish football's most coveted young managers after a remarkable rise with Rayo Vallecano.

Why Villarreal Made the Move

Perez steps into the role vacated by Marcelino Garcia Toral, who departed at the close of last season despite delivering an impressive third-place finish in La Liga — behind only FC Barcelona and Real Madrid — and securing Champions League qualification for the second consecutive season. Villarreal's decision to move on from Marcelino, even amid such results, underlines the club's ambition to bring fresh tactical energy into the dugout.

Perez's Record at Rayo Vallecano

Perez took charge at Rayo Vallecano on 14 February 2024, following the dismissal of Francisco, inheriting a side in genuine danger of relegation. He steadied the ship immediately — his first match ended in a 1-1 home draw against Real Madrid — and guided the club to safety that season.

The following campaign, 2024/25, brought European football to Vallecas for the first time in the club's modern history, with Rayo qualifying for the UEFA Conference League. Perez then led them further still in the season just concluded, taking Rayo to the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig, Germany, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. En route to the final, Rayo eliminated Strasbourg 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Domestically, the club finished eighth in La Liga — a highly creditable result for a side operating on one of the division's smallest budgets.

The Man Behind the Manager

Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Perez is a product of Athletic Bilbao's famed youth academy at Lezama. He made his senior debut for Athletic on 28 October 2009 in a Copa del Rey fixture — a 2-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano — and made his La Liga bow two days later, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 home win over Atletico Madrid.

He retired from playing at the end of the 2021-22 season at the age of 34, having made 85 official appearances during his time at El Sadar. He then joined the coaching staff of former Athletic teammate Andoni Iraola at Rayo Vallecano, before Iraola departed for Bournemouth in the Premier League in the summer of 2023.

What Comes Next for Villarreal

Perez now inherits a Villarreal squad already confirmed in the Champions League for next season, giving him a platform to test himself at the highest club level in European football. His track record of overperforming with limited resources will be closely watched as he takes on a club with significantly greater financial firepower. All eyes will be on his first pre-season as Villarreal prepare to compete on multiple fronts in 2025-26.