Marcos Senna and Villarreal CF’s Philippine Vision

David Villa, Fernando Torres, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta are the names often credited with reshaping the football landscape in 2008, when Spain swept through the European Championship co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland. But those who truly understand the game will always remember Marcos Senna—the quiet cornerstone of La Furia Roja, and the longtime captain of Villarreal. Senna was the midfield engine who did the indispensable, often invisible work that steadied a star-studded Spanish squad.

Senna’s face lit up when he was asked about the impact of Luis Aragonés on his career. Of El Sabio de Hortaleza—The Wise Man of Hortaleza—he had this to say:

“Luis Aragones played a very crucial role in my career, especially coming from Villarreal, a smaller team compared to the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Villarreal had a smaller fan-base and population, my inclusion with the team became very controversial, but Luis Aragones decided to go with the option of me being part of the National Team.”

With a laugh, Senna also described his coach as “a very good grandfather.”

When Villarreal CF were relegated after the 2011–2012 season, Senna chose not to leave. Instead, he stayed to fight for promotion—something the club achieved the following year. He explained that as captain, and having been with Villarreal for a decade, he felt a responsibility to lead the team back to Spain’s top flight. His bond with the club, he stressed, was more than professional; he treated Villarreal like family.

Today, that same sense of identity and continuity resonates thousands of miles away in the Philippines. The Villarreal CF Philippines Academy is spearheaded by Filipino architect Eumir Siao, whose two children now play for the C Team of the club’s Youth Academy alongside Pau Senna, the son of Marcos.

“What we try to do in the Philippines is for the young players to adapt to the Spanish methodology and make them adapt to the Villarreal CF style and its part of the grassroots program. In fact, we had a chat with NCRFA President Mico Gutierrez, about having Villarreal help the grassroots program develop with proven methodology so that the Philippines can elevate the level of grassroots football,” Siao shared with excitement.

Marllaneza Carceller of Villarreal CF echoed this mission. She emphasized that developing players is the club’s core priority, and that grassroots work has been central to their success for the past two decades. The model, she noted, is proven—producing talents such as 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. “Villarreal as a brand would like to expand as a team, our story and to get well-known in other countries,” she added.

Senna also reflected on what it was like to share the pitch with Argentine maestro Juan Román Riquelme. “Riquelme when you watch him in the games, you already know he is the star, normally, the best on the team, it also translates when we’d train together, he was really the best and he was always competitive even just in our training sessions.”

Today, Villarreal CF’s Youth Academy has established a presence in the Philippines, China, Korea, Malaysia, and Australia. Marcos Senna is in Manila to grace the inaugural Villarreal 7’s Filipinas Cup, happening from December 13–14 at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub. Selected local teams—along with a contingent from Villarreal CF’s Australia Youth Academy—will compete for the honor of becoming the first Villarreal 7’s Filipinas Cup champions.

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