Unai Emery, manager of Arsenal, reacts to the UEFA Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt at Emirates Stadium in London, England, November 28, 2019. /VCG
Unai Emery, manager of Arsenal, reacts to the UEFA Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt at Emirates Stadium in London, England, November 28, 2019. /VCG
Unai Emery, former manager of Premier League's Arsenal, will take over to become the new boss of Villarreal of La Liga, reported ESPN on Monday. After months of negotiations, Emery will receive a three-year deal.
In their last La Liga game this season, Villarreal claimed a big win over Eibar 4-0 on Sunday. As the No. 5 team of the top Spanish league, Villarreal will attend the UEFA Europa League next season.
Emery had been unemployed since he left the Gunners in November 2019, but he remained busy talking to different clubs from Serie A, Premier League, and finally, he has made the decision to go to Spain.
Having coached multiple clubs, including big names like Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, Emery built his reputation in La Liga with Almeria and Valencia. From 2009 to 2012, he led Valencia to finish three straight seasons in the third place on the table.
Unai Emery, manager of Sevilla, holds the UEFA Europa League championship trophy to celebrate after beating Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3-2 in the Final at National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, May 27, 2015. /VCG
Unai Emery, manager of Sevilla, holds the UEFA Europa League championship trophy to celebrate after beating Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3-2 in the Final at National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, May 27, 2015. /VCG
Though his little trip at Spartak Moscow was not so pleasant, Emery impressed the European football world later by helping Sevilla, another Spanish club, win three Europa League championships three times in a row between 2014 and 2016.
Departing for PSG and Arsenal did not add much beauty to Emery's resume. Winning Ligue 1 title with PSG proved nothing, and failing to make any breakthrough in the UEFA Champions League was not helping at all. Moreover, if the following 18 months at Emirates Stadium proved anything, it must be the fact that Emery was not built for a big market team. Therefore, leaving the spotlight to coach Villarreal may be the right choice.
Of course, that does not mean Emery can expect a carefree job. Midfielder Santi Cazorla and captain Bruno Soriano this week confirmed that they would both leave El Madrigal. Emery will need to find their replacements for Villarreal.