Worst tattoos? Top chef? Nutmeg kings? Get to know Villarreal
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
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The Yellow Submarine stars revealed all ahead of the final against Manchester United.
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Villarreal's media profile is considerably lower than that of UEFA Europa League final opponents Manchester United, with coach Unai Emery better known to most fans outside Spain than any of his players.
UEFA.com spoke to centre-backs Raúl Albiol and Pau Torres, forward Gerard Moreno, left-back Alberto Moreno and Colombian striker Carlos Bacca to get some insight into the key personalities on board the Yellow Submarine.
Who was the last person who nutmegged you?
Carlos Bacca: “[French midfielder Étienne] Capoue in a training session. He’s always doing things like that. But don’t worry, next time I’ll kick him! The last person I nutmegged was [midfielder] Dani Parejo. It’s very easy with him. Dani always goes around with his legs spread apart.”
Raúl Albiol: “Today [club captain] Mario [Gaspar] nutmegged me. When I last nutmegged someone I think I was a child.”
Pau Torres: “In a training session, during the rondos, someone always tries to do it, and Dani Parejo is the player who tries it the most. Last week, in a training session, I nutmegged Raúl Albiol. He said I was lucky, but I was trying to do it.”
Alberto Moreno: “The last person I nutmegged in a training session: [forward] Dani Raba, my team-mate. It was great.”
Who is Villlarreal's best chef?
Raúl Albiol: “Gero [goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli] and [defender Ramiro] Funes [Mori] are Argentinian so they are masters all that barbecue stuff. They have a head start because they love roast meat.”
Gerard Moreno: “The one who takes care of himself and eats the best is Raúl Albiol.”
Alberto Moreno: “I must say I’ve tried the Pau Torres paella and it’s awesome.”
Carlos Bacca: “Pau Torres cooks good paella but, for me, the best one is the one who makes barbecues, Gero Rulli. It’s amazing.
Pau Torres: “The best chef is [midfielder] Manu Trigueros. He does a great barbecue. People have been talking about my paella? Well, some of them have been lucky enough to taste it.”
Who has Villarreal's best and worst tattoos?
Raúl Albiol: “I’ve got tattoos of my four children and my wife, five in total. [Forward Fernando Niño has] got a terrible tattoo: a tiger that looks like a cat, then a bird out of nowhere, and an ugly jungle. Covering it all up with black ink would be better.”
Alberto Moreno: “He’s got a tiger that looks like a cat. It’s terrible.”
Carlos Bacca: “Fernando Niño had a girl tattooed on him which looked nothing like a girl. A girl right next to a lion. I have one, which I got when I was very young. I have a ‘C’ for Carlos, which my brother tattooed on me when I was eight. But it came with a high price because the day my mum saw it, she hit me very hard.”
Raúl Albiol: “I like [Étienne] Capoue’s tattoo. He has a tattoo of Michael Jordan.”
Gerard Moreno: “[Alberto Moreno] has a lot. He has a picture of himself with his son. He also has a few tattoos of trophies that he has won like the [UEFA] Champions League and the [UEFA] Europa League.”
Alberto Moreno: “Have I got a favourite? I have many, but if I had to say one I would say this one with my son. It’s my face with him as a newborn. I also have this one, with my other boy. And I have this one, which is my daughter’s hand and my hand, with the date and time she was born.”
Pau Torres: “The only team-mate whose tattoos I’d envy would be Alberto, because he won a [UEFA] Champions [League] and now he has a tattoo of the trophy. I think he has also won three [UEFA] Europa Leagues, and if I’m not mistaken, he also has a tattoo of them.”
If Villarreal started a band, who would play what?
Raúl Albiol: “I would play the drums, that’s for sure because I like the drums. I think Gerard Moreno would be the singer, and maybe [midfielder] Moi [Gómez] would be the guitarist.”
Alberto Moreno: “I would play flamenco guitar, Funes Mori would play timbales, Carlitos Bacca would play maracas, and [defender] Jaume Costa would be on the mic.”
Carlos Bacca: “Nobody would be in [my band]! They’re all awful: they only like dancing. But, alright, let’s pick one who might play an instrument. [Midfielder] Vicente Iborra: he’s more serious, so he can play the saxophone, or the piano.”
Gerard Moreno: “The one who plays music in the dressing room is Funes Mori, so I think I would take him with me.”
Carlos Bacca: “Every morning [Funes Mori] comes with his speaker which he’s bought from home, already pumped for some music.”
Alberto Moreno: “He plays some bachata, reggaeton, some old songs: he mixes it all up.”
Raúl Albiol: “Hopefully, in the final, he’ll be inspired and play some good music so that we can win.”