Joseph Manuel Llaneza He passed away this Thursday at the age of 74. Born in the Valencian town of Puçol in 1948, until now Vice President of Villarreal Club de Fútbol he has dedicated the last three decades of his life to the club, being part of the board of directors since 1993 and facilitating the arrival of Fernando Roig to the entity four years later, in 1997. Along with the current president, Llaneza built the foundations of a team that during his tenure has gone from the Second Division to being European champion and consolidating itself among the greats of the football world.
Simplicity He lost his life shortly after his wife, Encarna Carceller Martínez, did., who died last September. The vice president of the yellow club, one of the main architects of the enviable trajectory of the Submarine in recent decades, was fighting leukemia that forced him to be hospitalized at the beginning of this 2022. Despite the fact that the passion for football and specifically for Villarreal It has led him to attend several matches of the team of his loves and to receive well-deserved tributes, finally the disease has ended his life to the pain and consternation of his loved ones and ultimately of the thousands of fans and sympathizers ‘groguets’, who now cry your irreparable loss.
Much more than a vice president
José Manuel Llaneza received the Vila-real Gold Medal last May together with two illustrious Vila-real residents such as Pau Torres and Sebastián Mora, demonstrating that despite being born in Puçol after so many years of self-sacrificing career, he had won on merit own all the affection of the host city and the province of Castellón, where he supported countless clubs and sports disciplines. All the political parties then agreed to grant this recognition to a man who has done so much to internationalize the name of Vila-real and Villarreal.
Beyond the institutional recognition, the vice president was a person very dear to the fans, who did not hide their sincere emotion upon seeing him again at the Estadio de la Cerámica after overcoming a first hospitalization for the damned leukaemia. The stands then stood up to receive the architect of the great Villarreal with full honors.
An immaculate path
José Manuel Llaneza was happy at Villarreal and made thousands of fans happy who have enjoyed endless deeds with him as the protagonist. From promotion in Compostela to the Europa League title in Gdansk there are many successes that have been enjoyed thanks in large part to the management and dedication of the eternal vice president.
As Llaneza said on more than one occasion, despite having signed top-level international footballers, his best signing was not for the pitch but for the box, it was Fernando Roig, since he facilitated the arrival of the current owner, which brought about the Thursday, May 15, 1997 in the hall of the Avenida 41 Restaurant in Vila-real. Llaneza was a key man in the transfer of powers between the then president Pascual Font de Mora, forced to step aside for health reasons, and the current one. Surely, if we ask Fernando Roig today about the most important man in the construction of the club, he will also mention the name of José Manuel Llaneza.
From Mediterráneo we join the duel that their children José Manuel, Ángel, Cristina and Mª del Mar are going through; his grandchildren Jose, Carmen, Pablo and Álvaro; his in-laws, his brothers, brothers-in-law, cousins, nephews and other relatives. Rest in peace.
