In the previous season, Kubo Kenyoung was a member of the team from the
Real Madrid (soccer team)
Won plaudits for outstanding performances after going on loan to Mallorca. New season (20/21).
Real Madrid soccer team
Once again, Kubo was sent out to train, this time with a UEFA Cup qualification, strong enough to challenge
European crown
The team was dubbed the "Yellow Submarine" by Villarreal. Emery had expected Kubo to find his form in Spain, and with his time in Paris and the
Arsenal (name)
The period produced a lot of young talent, so it was expected that Kubo would have good chemistry with him. However, after half a season, Kubo Kenyoung filed a request to leave the team, seeking a transfer.
It may seem unwise to leave after only half a season at the top of the league, but Kubo's reasons for leaving the club do make sense. He played only 293 minutes in La Liga, which is equivalent to only 3.2 games if you calculate 90 minutes a game. So, was Kubo's strength not good enough, or did Emery fail to fully utilize his ability? Let's find out.
Villarreal, once languishing in the middle of La Liga, returned to La Liga in just one year after their unfortunate relegation to Liga B in the 11/12 season, and have since finished a solid fourth to sixth place almost every year.In the 2018/2019 season, then-manager Javier Calleja was dismissed in December 2018 due to a lackluster record, and the team then invited Luis García, who was coaching in the Chinese Super League, to take over. However, Garcia was eventually dismissed after leading the team in just six matches with four draws and two losses. Surprisingly, Villarreal brought back Calleja, who had been dismissed earlier, to take the helm of the team. That season, they finished the La Liga season in 14th place.
By the 19/20 season, the team was on a roll with former
Arsenal (name)
With the help of Spanish players such as star Cazorla and Spanish international Steven Gerrard, the team returned to the Europa League, eventually finishing the league in fifth place. Nonetheless, the team fired returning manager Calleja due to missing out on a Champions League spot. Eventually, Villarreal announced that Emery had joined to coach the team. Despite personal disappointment with Emery's role in the
Arsenal (name)
He was not too happy with his performances during his time there, but he did achieve a number of honors while coaching La Liga and Ligue 1 teams, such as Sevilla's UEFA Cup treble and Paris Saint-Germain's domestic treble.
On August 10, 2020, Villarreal was selected among a number of prestigious teams with the
Real Madrid soccer team
An agreement was reached to loan Kubo Kenyoung until the end of the season. Prior to this, Blue Cannonball's article mentioned that Kubo joining a team with European qualification would be a good experience that would help him improve his resistance and stamina in a two or three front campaign. However, soon after the season started, Emery was questioned. After playing five La Liga matches, Kubo was a substitute, accumulating a total of only 54 minutes of playing time, with the majority of the time being sent on around the 80-minute mark, an arrangement that left Real Madrid a little disgruntled. But Emery told the media: "He's still young and needs to accumulate playing time, everything has to go through a process. Our starting eleven is quite fixed, it's hard to find someone to replace, but I'll give him some time, he needs to keep working hard and improving to grow up."
Kubo Kenyoung is still not getting many chances in La Liga as the games continue to go on. Ironically, Emery led Villarreal to third place in the league. Kubo made a total of 13 appearances, with only 2 starts totaling 299 minutes, and was on the bench for a month in December. In the end, Kubo had no choice but to apply to manager Emery to leave the club, ending his loan deal with the Yellow Submarine early.
Shortly after, on January 7, 2021, Getafe, a team in the relegation zone of La Liga, announced the addition of Kenyoung Kubo to the team on loan. Current Japan national team captain Takashi Shibasaki also played for Getafe. Kubo made his debut for Getafe in the 64th minute of the match against Elche four days later. He showed a threatening ability of dribbling and passing on both sides of the flanks. First, Kubo cut into the box from the left and fired a decisive shot from long range. Although the keeper blocked his shot, a teammate's follow-up shot put his team in the lead again. Then in the 86th minute, Kubo again cut into the box with the ball and was violated by the opponent, helping his team get a penalty kick. In just 26 minutes of playing time, Kubo directly assisted his teammates to score two goals, successfully helping the team to reverse the victory. This performance directly hit the former manager Emery.
