Aston Villa FC confirmed the appointment of former Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, on Monday, October 24, as its new tactician.
While confirming the accusation of the Spaniard’s signature, Villa praised him for his past achievements.
“Aston Villa is delighted to announce the appointment of Unai Emery as the club’s new Head Coach.
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"Unai joins from Villarreal, whom he led to Europa League success by beating Manchester United in the final in 2021 and the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.
"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,” read a statement from Villa.
Emery, who penned a long-term deal on Monday is expected to take charge of Aston Villa squad from October 31, 2022.
At Villa, he will earn an estimated salary of €7m (approximately Ksh 837 million) per year.
Although Unai is familiar to most football fans, below are three details about him that may be unknown to most people.
He Is a Famous Author
Unai Emery found time in his busy managerial job to sit down and write a book which was published in 2012.
The book which is titled “ Winning Mentality: The Emery Methodology” was written in collaboration with popular author Juan Carlos Cubeiro.
The Only Manager to Win 3 Successive Europa League Titles
Emery entered the history books in 2015 when he became the first manager in the history of the Europa League to win three back-to-back titles.
He achieved the feat with Sevilla when he led them to the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Europa League triumphs.
Although Giovanni Trapattoni also lifted the title three times, he did not secure them on consecutive occasions.
His Grandfather Conceded the First Goal in the History of La Liga
Antonio Emery, Unai’s grandfather, was the first shot-stopper in the rich history of La Liga to concede a goal in 1929.
Antonio, who was playing for Real Union allowed Espanyol striker Pitus Prat to score a goal in a match which was played on February 10.
Espanyol went on to win the match 3-2.
Unai’s dad and Antonio’s father, Juan Emery, also played as a goalkeeper for several clubs, including Real Union Irun.