The 1998-99 campaign was a dramatic, historic, and ultimately devastating debut season for Villarreal in the top flight, as El Submarino Amarillo finished a crushing 18th in La Liga, which resulted in relegation via a tense play-off. Having reached the first tier for the first time in their history, the season was defined by a desperate struggle for survival despite the prolific efforts of Romanian striker Gheorghe Craioveanu, whose 13 crucial goals were instrumental. This turbulent year marked the club's initial, painful entry into the Spanish elite, but it remains a defining, foundational chapter that preceded their famous return and subsequent establishment as a European force.