Ex-Arsenal man Thomas Partey booed on official Villarreal debut

Thomas Partey’s first taste of LaLiga action with Villarreal came with more than just football on Friday night.

During his debut for the Valencian club, the Ghanaian midfielder was met with a mixed reaction from fans during his debut appearance at the Estadi de la Cerámica.

Partey, who left Arsenal earlier this summer after his contract expired, came on as a late substitute for Santi Comesana with less than ten minutes left to play in Villarreal’s season opener against Oviedo.

By then, the Yellow Submarine were already comfortably ahead thanks to first-half goals from Etta Eyong and Pape Gueye, with the visitors reduced to ten men.

But the biggest talking point arrived when Partey stepped onto the pitch. Applause from sections of the crowd was drowned out by whistles and boos from others, a pattern that continued every time he touched the ball during his brief cameo.

The mixed reception was yet another sign of the divided feelings surrounding the 32-year-old’s arrival in Spain, as his presence on the pitch sparked more noise than the scoreline itself.

Partey’s move to Villarreal has been under intense scrutiny after he was charged in England with multiple counts of rape and one of sexual assault.

The midfielder, who maintains his innocence, is currently on bail and is due to face court proceedings in London next month.

Despite the backlash, Villarreal president Fernando Roig has been vocal in defending the signing, stressing the importance of the presumption of innocence and urging fans to wait for the outcome of legal proceedings before passing judgment.

Roig condemned violence in all forms but insisted that the club would not prejudge a player still under legal process. While he appealed to supporters to rally behind their team, the reaction during Partey’s debut showed that sections of the fanbase remain unconvinced.