Villarreal 2006

Coach: Manuel Pellegrini

Villarreal, a club from a Spanish town of barely 50,000 people, produced the finest European campaign in their history in 2005-06, reaching the Champions League semi-final under coach Manuel Pellegrini before falling to Arsenal, with club captain and Argentine playmaker Juan Román Riquelme missing a crucial late penalty in the second leg that might have sent Villarreal through. Diego Forlán, on loan from Manchester United and rebuilding his career after a difficult spell in England, formed a productive strike partnership that fired the 'Yellow Submarine' past Everton, Rangers and Inter Milan en route to the last four, an extraordinary run for a club with one of the smallest budgets and fanbases ever to reach that stage of the competition. Riquelme's missed penalty, saved by Jens Lehmann, remains one of the most agonising moments in the club's history, denying Villarreal what would have been an even more remarkable final appearance against Barcelona weeks later. This campaign remains the definitive high point of Villarreal's history and a frequently cited example of a well-run, tactically sound smaller club competing deep into Europe's premier competition against far wealthier opposition.