Pablo Villar

Pablo Villar Ferreiro (born 4 September 1986) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a goalkeeper. He was most recently the head coach of Chinese Super League club Meizhou Hakka.

After working as an assistant manager and in the amateur leagues of his own country from his mid-20s, he managed in his own right in the Slovak Super Liga, Lithuanian A Lyga, Portuguese Primeira Liga, and Chinese Super League.

Playing career
Born in Avilés, Asturias, Villar represented Colegio San Fernando, Club Histórico de Carbayedo, CD Quirinal, Real Avilés CF and Pontevedra CF as a youth. He made his senior debut with Tercera División side Villalonga FC in 2006, and later represented Arosa SC before returning to his home region in 2007.

After spending the pre-season with Segunda División B side Marino de Luanco, Villar signed for CD Cudillero in the fourth tier on 15 August 2007. He moved to fellow league team SD Compostela on 11 July 2008, but finished the campaign at Preferente Autonómica side CF Noia.

On 14 July 2009, Villar returned to Avilés, now for the first team also in the fourth division. He returned to Compos in July 2010, but left the club in November due to their financial problems, and trained with Marino before signing for Ribadesella CF on 1 February 2011.

Managerial career
In 2009, after being announced at Avilés as a player, Villar was also named manager of the Alevín squad and a fitness coach of the youth sides. In 2011, he was appointed manager of AD Ribadedeva in the Primera Regional de Asturias, while also being a goalkeeping coach at Quirinal and CD Femiastur.

In June 2012, Villar became Fabri González's assistant at Segunda División side SD Huesca. On 25 June 2013, he returned to managerial duties, being named at the helm of Luarca CF in the fourth tier. He left the club in the following May, after suffering relegation, and was appointed CD Tineo manager on 22 May 2014.

Villar led Tineo to a first-ever promotion the fourth tier in his first season, and left the club in 2016, after avoiding relegation. He returned to Ribadedeva on 16 June of that year, but left the club on 15 August, after having altercations with the board.

On 1 November 2016, Villar was named manager of Urraca CF, still in division four. He left the club the following 14 February, after being hired by the Chinese Ministry of Education to work in Tianjin.

Villar returned to Spain in December 2017, joining Fabri's staff at Lorca FC in the second division. He followed the manager to FC Karpaty Lviv in Ukraine before being named assistant at Qingdao Hainiu FC on 20 December 2019.

In October 2021, Villar became the first Spaniard to manage in the Slovak Super Liga, after being appointed in charge of FK Pohronie. He was dismissed on 21 December, and took over FK Riteriai in Lithuania's A Lyga on 24 May 2022. Villar was sacked by Riteriai on 24 March 2023, after a poor start of the season.

On 2 June 2023, Villar signed a one-year contract at F.C. Vizela of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, succeeding Tulipa. On 18 December 2023, with the club sitting in 17th place in the league table, after two victories, five draws and seven losses in fourteen matches, Villar's contract was terminated and he left Vizela.

On 6 January 2024, Villar was appointed as manager of Chinese Super League club Meizhou Hakka. On 18 May 2024, Villar was sacked after just one win in eleven matches.