Unai Emery – All you need to know about the man who brought elite European football back to Aston Villa
Unai Emery has already earned himself legendary status at Aston Villa.
Emery came in at Villa Park in 2022, taking over from former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard after a failed spell since the move from Glasgow.
The Spaniard took over in a relegation battle before going on to secure a place in the UEFA Conference League by the end of the campaign.
This was before following this up with a top four finish and Champions League football as the Villans returned to the elite of European football.
As a result, it is little surprise that Emery is already viewed as a legend in B6 with his tactical knowledge and eye for talent being key to his success.
Unai Emery’s managerial history
The former midfielder was featured across Spanish football in his playing days, featuring mainly for Toledo after leaving Real Sociedad in 1996.
At the end of his career, Emery found himself at Lorca Deportiva, where he made 30 appearances before becoming their manager in 2004.
He helped the Murcia-based outfit to instantly earn promotion to the second division before securing a fifth-place finish, just five points off earning promotion.
This earned the Spaniard a move to Almeria, where he pushed them to a first-ever promotion in 2007 before finishing eighth in LaLiga and then moving on to Valencia.
A spell at Los Che is where Emery ultimately became well-known as he guided them into the Europa League in 2009, before finishing third in the following campaign.
In 2012, Emery departed bizarrely for Spartak Moscow after once again earning Champions League qualification.
The 53-year-old was sacked just six months into his time in Russia, before going on to manage Sevilla in 2013.
In his time with the LaLiga side, the head coach helped them to win three consecutive Europa League titles before moving on to PSG.
A spell in the French capital wasn’t as successful, despite winning multiple titles, as Thomas Tuchel went on to replace Emery after just two years in charge.
| Team | From | To | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| Lorca Deportiva | 21 December 2004 | 22 June 2006 | 70 | 34 | 16 | 20 |
| Almeria | 22 June 2006 | 22 May 2008 | 84 | 39 | 20 | 25 |
| Valencia | 22 May 2008 | 14 May 2012 | 220 | 107 | 58 | 55 |
| Spartak Moscow | 14 May 2012 | 25 November 2012 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 |
| Sevilla | 14 January 2013 | 12 June 2016 | 205 | 106 | 43 | 56 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 28 June 2016 | 14 May 2018 | 114 | 87 | 15 | 12 |
| Arsenal | 23 May 2018 | 29 November 2019 | 78 | 43 | 16 | 19 |
| Villarreal | 23 July 2020 | 25 October 2022 | 129 | 66 | 32 | 31 |
Arsenal landed Emery after his release from Paris, but ultimately, he was underappreciated and underfunded at the Emirates, where he was sacked in 2019 and replaced by Mikel Arteta.
This left the door open for Villarreal to swoop in and go on to win the Europa League with a penalty shootout win against Manchester United, securing the manager’s fourth title win.
Unai Emery became an instant Aston Villa hero
Nassef Sawiris took matters into his own hands to acquire the services of Emery after Gerrard failed so horrifically after Christian Purslow’s recommendation.
It is fair to say that Villa’s co-owner has seen his decision be vindicated with the success that the Spaniard has had in the B6 dugout.
- Emery has overseen 143 games with a 53.15 per cent win rate
- The Spaniard has managed just 41 losses since joining from Villarreal
- Villa represents his third-best career win percentage
This has seen the claret and blue outfit go from strength to strength, from the Conference to the Champions League, now finding themselves in the Europa League.
There aren’t many more successful managers in recent memory at Villa Park, but a trophy in the cabinet would secure Emery’s legacy forever, if it isn’t already.
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