The Spanish outfit booked their place in the semi-finals of the Europa League after they edged out Dinamo Zagreb over two legs of their quarter-final tie.

 

Villarreal are used to heartbreak in the semi-finals of European competitions and have not made it to a final despite four attempts in the club’s history.

 

 

One of those painful memories involves Arsenal when the Gunners beat them in the Champions League semi-final in 2006 with Riquelme missing a late penalty in the second leg in Spain.

 

Roig is looking forward to avenging that defeat when the two sides meet later this month and is hopeful that their semi-final luck changes this season.

 

 

The Villarreal president said on Radio Marca: “Let’s see if we can get the Riquelme penalty.

 

“I hope we have a good semi-final.”

 

 

He conceded that being in the semi-finals of the Europa League is as good as winning a trophy for Villarreal, however Roig is keen to pick up the silverware.

 

“It would be extraordinary to crown the project with a trophy.

 

“For us, being where we are is almost like getting a trophy.”

 

Villarreal currently sit in seventh spot in La Liga, one point off fifth place with eight games to play.