Villarreal coach Inigo Perez said on Thursday that he hopes Saturday's return to La Liga action away to Real Madrid can be the moment that his side makes a statement of intent for the rest of the season
MADRID — Villarreal coach Inigo Perez said on Thursday that he hopes Saturday's return to La Liga action away to Real Madrid can be the moment that his side makes a statement of intent for the rest of the season.
The former Rayo Vallecano boss had a complicated start as his spell with Villarreal was without a win in his first five La Liga matches in charge, but wins against Malaga and Levante before the international break confirmed his side's improvement, although Saturday's visit to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium promises to be complicated, reports Xinhua.
"It's the perfect stage to go out there and show what we can do," Perez told the press.
"We know very well how difficult it is, and we know our rival will demand a lot from us and put us under pressure, but we need to put any fear to one side and accept that they will try to attack us," explained the Villarreal boss.
"There is no problem in admitting their (Real Madrid's) quality, but it's also good for us to step up and show our own game," commented Perez, who added that "winning and making a statement is always a good thing."
Earlier in June, Villarreal had confirmed former Rayo Vallecano coach Inigo Perez as their new first-team coach, with the 38-year-old signing a three-year contract until the end of June 2029.
Perez, who retired from playing in 2022, replaces Marcelino Garcia Toral, who left the club at the end of last season despite leading Villarreal to a third-place finish in La Liga behind FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, securing Champions League qualification for the second consecutive season.
He arrived from Rayo Vallecano after just over two seasons in charge, having taken over in February 2024 and guiding the team to safety when it was in danger of relegation.
Rayo qualified for the UEFA Conference League under Perez in the 2024/25 campaign, and he then led the club to a historic European final in the season just concluded, with Rayo suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in last week's final in Leipzig, Germany.
Rayo Vallecano also finished the season in a highly respectable eighth place in La Liga despite operating with one of the league's lowest budgets, further enhancing Perez's reputation as one of Spain's best young coaches.