Aston Villa fans will love what Ange Postecoglou just said about Unai Emery – ‘I rate that highly’
Ange Postecoglou has explained why he believes Unai Emery is one of the best coaches in the world.
Emery has been praised heavily this season for hauling Aston Villa into a title race, despite having an inferior squad to the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Spaniard has consistently helped the Midlands outfit to punch above their weight over recent years, cementing his status as one of the best managers in the Premier League.
However, former Tottenham boss Postecoglou has gone one step further, name-checking Emery in conversation about the top coaches around the globe.
Ange Postecoglou reveals what he admires most about Unai Emery
Before taking over at Villa in November 2022, Emery had spells at Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Villarreal, among others.
The 54-year-old has a long list of honours to his name and developed himself into something of a Europa League specialist while at Sevilla, winning the competition three times in a row.
Speaking on Stick to Football, Postecoglou highlighted how Emery had bounced back from his poor tenure at Arsenal.
The Australian also named the Villa boss as one of the best managers in world football right now.
Asked who the best pound-for-pound coach was in the world, Postecoglou replied: “I rate Unai Emery highly. The way he was treated at Arsenal, any other manager would have gone with his tail between his legs.
“He’s come to Aston Villa and made an impact. He’s at a club that really believes in him.
“He gets the most out of his teams. I rate that highly because he’s handled adversity, and he’s still going today and trying to win things.”
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Unai Emery got the better of Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou spent two seasons at Tottenham, and played Emery’s Villa side five times in that period.
The pair faced off four times in the Premier League, with both sides registering two wins each.
However, Emery managed to guide Villa to an FA Cup Fourth Round win over Tottenham back in February 2025, giving the Spaniard the slight edge over Postecoglou.
Emery would cement his status as one of the best coaches around if he guided Villa to a Champions League finish this season.
The Midlands outfit are currently eight points clear of sixth-place Liverpool, and with the top five likely to reach the competition, are in a good place to achieve their goal.
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