Iñigo Pérez named Villarreal head coach, to become club’s youngest top-flight boss | OneFootball

Iñigo Pérez has been appointed Villarreal head coach and will become the club’s youngest manager in the top flight at 38.

The club said in a statement it agreed terms on Monday, confirming a deal to 30 June 2029 after Rayo Vallecano’s Conference League final and his departure were made official.

He will be presented on Tuesday 2 June at 18:30 in the Club 1923 at the Estadio de la Cerámica, a media-only event streamed on Villarreal’s social channels.

Born in Pamplona on 18 January 1988, Pérez’s senior dugout experience is with Rayo. He led them to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa Conference League final and matched their best LaLiga finish, eighth, in 2024/25.

He first worked at Rayo as Andoni Iraola’s assistant, then took charge in February 2024 after Francisco Rodríguez was dismissed, unable to follow Iraola to Bournemouth due to bureaucratic issues.

As a player he represented Athletic Club, SD Huesca, RCD Mallorca, CD Numancia and CA Osasuna, where he retired in 2022.

He arrives younger than Javi Calleja. Juan Carlos Garrido took over at 40, José Francisco Molina and Miguel Ángel Tena at 41, while Quique Setién’s first top-flight game with Villarreal came at 64. He will also manage in the Champions League.

The club’s youngest first-team coach was Julio Velázquez at 31, but in Segunda in the first half of 2012/13. Pérez will spend this week familiarising himself with the set-up in Miralcamp.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo