Unai Emery, the manager of Villarreal, has been named the new head coach of Aston Villa after abandoning the Spanish outfit.
Emery succeeds Steven Gerrard, who was fired this week. Emery was the manager of Arsenal from 2018 to 2019.
2020 saw Unai Emery join Villarreal, and he helped the team win the Europa League and get to the Champions League semifinals.
The Spaniard previously served as manager of Arsenal and declined interest from Newcastle last year.
After completing the necessary paperwork for a work permit, the 50-year-old will start in his new position on November 1. As a result, his first game in command will be against Manchester United on November 6 at home.
On Tuesday, the Spaniard and Villarreal will participate in a farewell press conference. At the end of his first season, he led the team to victory in the Europa League at United’s expense. He joined the organization in the summer of 2020.
Villarreal reached the Champions League semifinals for just the second time in their history under Emery’s leadership in his second season, continuing his impressive play.
Emery’s previous tenure as a Premier League manager came to an end when he was fired by Arsenal three years ago. When Newcastle contacted him last year, he declined their offer to come back to England.
Emery earned a Ligue 1 championship with Paris Saint-Germain before joining the Premier League, along with two French Cups and two French League Cups.
Along with his fourth title with Villarreal, he also won three Europa Leagues with Sevilla, making him the competition’s all-time most successful manager.
Gerrard’s departure occurred 11 months after he transferred from Rangers to Villa Park, where he helped the team win their first Scottish league championship in ten years.
However, the former England captain struggled to duplicate that success on the Canadian side of the border, winning just 13 of his 40 games in command before being fired right away following Villa’s 3-0 loss to Fulham last week.
After being hired on a temporary basis, Aaron Danks helped Villa defeat Brentford 4-0 last weekend to earn their first victory in five games.
Unai Emery
Aston Villa’s manager in the Premier League is a former player and football manager from Spain named Unai Emery Etxegoien (born 3 November 1971).
Following a playing career that was primarily spent in Spain’s Segunda División, Emery changed careers and began coaching in 2004.
He started off at Lorca Deportiva, where in his debut season he was promoted to the Segunda División. When he eventually joined Almera, he was instrumental in the club’s first-ever promotion to La Liga.
Later, he relocated to Valencia, where he helped the squad achieve top-three finishes. He managed Spartak Moscow for six months after leaving Valencia before relocating to Sevilla in 2013.
Contract with Aston Villa
Villarreal received a £5.2 million buyout fee from Aston Villa for the 50-year-old player, who could make up to €7 million annually at the Midlands club.
The coach has been officially hired by the Premier League team for the upcoming four seasons, with the possibility of an additional year.
Emery departs Villarreal and sets out on a brand-new journey. He was promised a sports project and signings investment by Aston Villa.
Aston Villa was a possibility in August, but the coach refused to sit down and bargain at that time.
What has Emery Achieved?
Emery won a historic three consecutive Europa Leagues while playing for Sevilla before transferring to the French club Paris Saint-Germain in 2016.
He won a Ligue 1 championship, two Cup of France victories, two Cup of Ligue victories, and two Trophée des Champions there, including a domestic quadruple in his second season.
Emery succeeded Arsène Wenger as head coach of English club Arsenal in 2018 after his contract expired.
He concluded his debut season as the runner-up in the Europa League before being fired in November 2019 due to a string of unsuccessful performances.
He was appointed by Villarreal in July 2020, where he led the team to a Champions League semifinal appearance the following year and won the Europa League in his first season.
What is Unai Emery bringing to Aston Villa?
Emery was eager to play football in England again following an inconsistent 18 months at Arsenal from May 2018 to November 2019.
When he led Almeria to promotion to LaLiga in 2007, Emery rose to fame in Spain.
He finished fifth in the Premier League that year before being fired as a result of a bad 2019–20 campaign.
In a club statement, Aston Villa said: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the appointment of Unai Emery as the club’s new head coach.”
“A highly experienced top level coach who has managed over 900 games, Unai has also previously managed in the Premier League during a spell with Arsenal, leading the Gunners to a Europa League final.”
“He has also enjoyed notable success at Sevilla and at Paris Saint-Germain. In Seville, he won three successive Europa League titles between 2013 and 2016 before going on to lift a Ligue 1 championship in France as well as two French Cups, two French League Cups and two Trophee des Champions.”
“Unai will take over from Nov. 1 after his work permit formalities are completed.”
