Olympic heroes to return for Villarreal ahead of La Liga opener | OneFootball

It’s been a crazy summer for Alex Baena. He was part of Spain’s squad that won Euro 2024, and he also played a major role in La Rojita securing the gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris – he scored in the final against the host nation, with Santi Denia’s side securing a 5-3 win after extra time.

It’s been crazy for Baena in more ways than one. He’s had unbridled success, but he’s only not have any time off because of being at both tournaments. That will continue into the start of the 2024-25 season, as Diario AS have reported that he will return to Villarreal training on Tuesday, ahead of their opener against Atletico Madrid at the Ceramica.

Ilias Akhomach, who won bronze as part of Morocco’s squad at the Olympics, will also return on Tuesday. His summer was not as hectic, as he did not have anything on before making the trip to France.

Baena being available is a massive boost for Villarreal, although they will need to manage his minutes in the first few weeks of the season to avoid him burning out so early on into the campaign.