{"id":610950,"date":"2025-11-04T18:53:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T17:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/marcelino-venimos-con-la-ilusion-de-lograr-la-primera-victoria\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T21:10:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T20:10:04","slug":"marcelino-weve-come-here-with-the-excitement-of-getting-our-first-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/marcelino-weve-come-here-with-the-excitement-of-getting-our-first-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Marcelino: \u201cWe\u2019ve come here with the excitement of getting our first win\u201d"},"content":{"protected":false,"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d"},{"type":"image","url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg","alt":"","width":1920,"height":1080,"srcset":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-32x18.jpg 32w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1200x675.jpg 1200w","sizes":"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px"},{"type":"heading","level":3,"text":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Dani Parejo joined head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral in the press room at the Limassol Stadium ahead of Villarreal CF\u2019s UEFA Champions League clash with Pafos FC. The midfielder analysed the upcoming fixture and the team\u2019s opponents: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough and demanding game. If they\u2019re in this competition, it\u2019s for a reason. Pafos are a dangerous team that like to have possession and attack. We\u2019re fully aware that it won\u2019t be an easy match.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Just like his coach, Parejo emphasised that Villarreal will need to be at their best to get a result in Cyprus: \u201cWe know they\u2019re a good side, and to beat them we\u2019ll need to do things very well. It\u2019s a very important game for us, and our only focus is to be competitive and to win.\u201d"}],"structured":{"summary":{"text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET) Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC. In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d Dani Parejo joined head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral in the press room at the Limassol Stadium ahead of Villarreal CF\u2019s UEFA Champions League clash with Pafos FC. The midfielder analysed the upcoming fixture and the team\u2019s opponents: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough and demanding game. If they\u2019re in this competition, it\u2019s for a reason. Pafos are a dangerous team that like to have possession and attack. We\u2019re fully aware that it won\u2019t be an easy match.\u201d Just like his coach, Parejo emphasised that Villarreal will need to be at their best to get a result in Cyprus: \u201cWe know they\u2019re a good side, and to beat them we\u2019ll need to do things very well. It\u2019s a very important game for us, and our only focus is to be competitive and to win.\u201d","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)"},{"type":"heading","level":3,"text":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d"}],"buttons":[],"images":[{"type":"image","url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg","alt":"","width":1920,"height":1080,"srcset":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-32x18.jpg 32w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1200x675.jpg 1200w","sizes":"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px"}],"counts":{"blocks":10,"headings":2,"texts":7,"buttons":0,"images":1}},"sections":[{"id":"section-1","title":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)","text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET) Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC. In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)"}],"texts":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d"}],"buttons":[],"images":[{"type":"image","url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg","alt":"","width":1920,"height":1080,"srcset":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-32x18.jpg 32w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1200x675.jpg 1200w","sizes":"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px"}],"widgets":[],"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d"},{"type":"image","url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg","alt":"","width":1920,"height":1080,"srcset":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-32x18.jpg 32w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1200x675.jpg 1200w","sizes":"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px"}]},{"id":"section-2","title":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d","text":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d Dani Parejo joined head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral in the press room at the Limassol Stadium ahead of Villarreal CF\u2019s UEFA Champions League clash with Pafos FC. The midfielder analysed the upcoming fixture and the team\u2019s opponents: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough and demanding game. If they\u2019re in this competition, it\u2019s for a reason. Pafos are a dangerous team that like to have possession and attack. We\u2019re fully aware that it won\u2019t be an easy match.\u201d Just like his coach, Parejo emphasised that Villarreal will need to be at their best to get a result in Cyprus: \u201cWe know they\u2019re a good side, and to beat them we\u2019ll need to do things very well. It\u2019s a very important game for us, and our only focus is to be competitive and to win.\u201d","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":3,"text":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d"}],"texts":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Dani Parejo joined head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral in the press room at the Limassol Stadium ahead of Villarreal CF\u2019s UEFA Champions League clash with Pafos FC. The midfielder analysed the upcoming fixture and the team\u2019s opponents: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough and demanding game. If they\u2019re in this competition, it\u2019s for a reason. Pafos are a dangerous team that like to have possession and attack. We\u2019re fully aware that it won\u2019t be an easy match.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Just like his coach, Parejo emphasised that Villarreal will need to be at their best to get a result in Cyprus: \u201cWe know they\u2019re a good side, and to beat them we\u2019ll need to do things very well. It\u2019s a very important game for us, and our only focus is to be competitive and to win.\u201d"}],"buttons":[],"images":[],"widgets":[],"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":3,"text":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Dani Parejo joined head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral in the press room at the Limassol Stadium ahead of Villarreal CF\u2019s UEFA Champions League clash with Pafos FC. The midfielder analysed the upcoming fixture and the team\u2019s opponents: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough and demanding game. If they\u2019re in this competition, it\u2019s for a reason. Pafos are a dangerous team that like to have possession and attack. We\u2019re fully aware that it won\u2019t be an easy match.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Just like his coach, Parejo emphasised that Villarreal will need to be at their best to get a result in Cyprus: \u201cWe know they\u2019re a good side, and to beat them we\u2019ll need to do things very well. It\u2019s a very important game for us, and our only focus is to be competitive and to win.\u201d"}]}],"hero":{"id":"section-1","title":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)","text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET) Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC. In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)"}],"texts":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d"}],"buttons":[],"images":[{"type":"image","url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg","alt":"","width":1920,"height":1080,"srcset":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-32x18.jpg 32w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1200x675.jpg 1200w","sizes":"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px"}],"widgets":[],"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d"},{"type":"image","url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg","alt":"","width":1920,"height":1080,"srcset":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-32x18.jpg 32w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1200x675.jpg 1200w","sizes":"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px"}]}},"sections":[{"id":"section-1","title":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)","text":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET) Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral spoke to the media this Tuesday at the Limassol Stadium ahead of his team\u2019s upcoming UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Pafos FC. In his pre-match press conference, Marcelino expressed the team\u2019s determination to claim their first win of the campaign in Europe\u2019s top competition: \u201cWe would love to get our first victory, which we\u2019ve deserved in previous games but haven\u2019t achieved yet. We know it won\u2019t be easy, but that\u2019s our goal. We have the quality, the capability, and the conviction to make it happen.\u201d Having already faced Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City in the opening fixtures, Marcelino warned that the match in Cyprus will also be a tough test: \u201cWe have to respect our opponent because they\u2019re a good team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes, perform at our best, and not relax just because this opponent may seem less powerful than the previous ones. It would be a big mistake to think the match is won before playing it.\u201d The Spanish coach also described the fixture as a \u201ctest of maturity\u201d for his players: \u201cOur obligation is not necessarily to win, but to play at our best level and make full use of our potential. We\u2019ve shown in all competitions that we can perform at a very high level, so I believe we have real chances to win against Pafos.\u201d Looking ahead to the game, Marcelino expects a demanding and hard-fought battle: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a difficult match, with plenty of duels and second balls. They like to press high, stay close to their opponents, and they\u2019re strong both in attack and transition. They also defend well and concede very few goals. In fact, in their two away games in this Champions League campaign, they kept a clean sheet despite being down to ten men.\u201d","url":"","background_image":"","images":[{"type":"image","url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg","alt":"","width":1920,"height":1080,"srcset":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-32x18.jpg 32w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Parejo-vs-Pafos-1200x675.jpg 1200w","sizes":"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px"}],"videos":[],"links":[]},{"id":"section-2","title":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d","text":"Parejo: \u201cIf Pafos are playing in the Champions League, it\u2019s for a reason\u201d Dani Parejo joined head coach Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral in the press room at the Limassol Stadium ahead of Villarreal CF\u2019s UEFA Champions League clash with Pafos FC. The midfielder analysed the upcoming fixture and the team\u2019s opponents: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough and demanding game. If they\u2019re in this competition, it\u2019s for a reason. Pafos are a dangerous team that like to have possession and attack. We\u2019re fully aware that it won\u2019t be an easy match.\u201d Just like his coach, Parejo emphasised that Villarreal will need to be at their best to get a result in Cyprus: \u201cWe know they\u2019re a good side, and to beat them we\u2019ll need to do things very well. It\u2019s a very important game for us, and our only focus is to be competitive and to win.\u201d","url":"","background_image":"","images":[],"videos":[],"links":[]}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Villarreal CF head coach has called for ambition, focus, and respect ahead of the clash with Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":609796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13494],"tags":[8688,13478,6598,4873,16062,16710,5192,16389,9199,4866,6917,13487],"acf":null,"lang":"en","essential_grid":{"has_grid":false},"formatted_date":"November 4, 2025","modified_date":"November 5, 2025","permalink":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/marcelino-weve-come-here-with-the-excitement-of-getting-our-first-win\/","reading_time":3,"featured_media_data":{"id":609796,"title":"Marcelino vs 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