Villarreal have appointed Pacheta s their new manager, following the dismissal of Quique Setien on September 5, 2023.
José Rojo Martín, also known as “Pacheta”, has been handed the responsibility to lead the club for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.
Confirming the appointment of Jose Rojo Martín “Pacheta”, Villarreal put out a statement on their website that reads:
“Villarreal CF and José Rojo Martín ‘Pacheta’ have reached an agreement for the Burgos native to be the coach of the Submarino during this 23-24 season.”
Pacheta has previously managed several teams across the Spanish football pyramid, including; Elche, Valladolid, and Huesca.
Quique Setien dismissed due to poor form
Quique Setien spent less than a year at the Estadio de la Cerámica before he was sacked following a run of poor results that saw Villarreal slump to 15th on the Spanish La Liga table.
Setien guided Villarreal to 5th on the Spanish first-division table, helping the club secure a Europa League spot.
The Yellow Submarine have picked up only one win out of four matches in the Spanish La Liga this season.
Villarreal began the 2023/24 season, with a 1-2 loss at the Estadio de la Ceramica to Real Betis.
Afterwards, they recorded their first win of the season on Matchday 2, defeating Mallorca by 1-0.
Villarreal subsequently slumped to losses against Barcelona and Cadiz respectively, losing 4-3, and 3-1 respectively.
The defeat to Cadiz looked to be the last throw of the dice for Quique Setien at Villarreal, and he was fired 4 days later, on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Meanwhile, Pacheta last managed Real Valladolid, and he gained them promotion to the La Liga in his first season managing the club.
Unfortunately, with relegation in sight, Pucela dismissed Pacheta, after suffering a 6-0 bashing to Real Madrid.
Villarreal will be aiming to return to winning ways under Pacheta, and they will be hoping that it will be a swift change in their fortunes.
Pacheta first game as manager of Villarreal is against Almeria
The Yellow Submarine return to action on Sunday, September 17, 2023, against Almeria, before beginning their Europa League campaign, visiting Panathinaikos on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
Villarreal have finished in the top half of the table in the past four seasons, and they will also be hoping to finish in a comfortable position this term.
Pacheta, 55, began his managerial career at Segunda Federación – Group 5 club Numancia in 2009, before joining Real Oviedo in 2011.
He has managed 429 matches, winning 185 games, drawing 113, and losing 131. The Spaniard has a win percentage of 43.12%.
Villarreal was previously linked with Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez, before settling down for José Rojo Martín “Pacheta”.
Raul currently manages Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve team of the 14-time Champions League winners.
The 46-year-old has been in charge of the cadet team since 2019, and reports indicate that he is keen on a new challenge.
