Unai Emery marks four years at Aston Villa this week, and his side face Barcelona in the Champions League at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night. Emery arrived at Villa Park in November 2022 to replace Steven Gerrard, and the club have since won the Europa League in May, ending a 30-year trophy drought.
When he was unveiled, Emery set out two clear aims. “My dream is to win a trophy with Aston Villa. It’s my challenge,” he said. “My second dream and my objective could be to play with Aston Villa in Europe. But now, we have to start thinking only the next match because we are not in good position in the table now.”
He has already achieved both goals, which has fuelled speculation about his next move, whether with Villa or elsewhere.
Speculation and contract
Villa were angered enough to threaten legal action when Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said Emery would want to manage an elite club, linking him with Manchester United. Villa, though, see themselves as a club ready to join the elite, having challenged at the top of the Premier League and in Europe over the past two years, with Emery leading the way.
Carragher’s suggestion that the Spaniard would be open to leaving was naive, given how much control Emery holds at the club and the success he has enjoyed there. Emery signed his most recent contract in May 2024, which runs until 2029, so Villa are protected. A new deal is expected to follow the Europa League triumph.
Villa have moved up the pecking order but are not yet at the top. They remain well placed, as the signing of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg showed.
Summer departures and new challenges
Villa still lost players to traditionally bigger clubs over the summer. Emi Martinez, Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne all departed, while Ollie Watkins left for Saudi Arabia. The changes, however, have given Emery fresh impetus.
Emery celebrates his 55th birthday on Tuesday by facing Barcelona back in his home country, and the match offers him a chance to test his side against one of the continent’s best. “We are constantly seeking new challenges and we want to respond in games against Barcelona to see how far we are from them,” he said.
He added: “We won it [the European Cup] in 1982 and right now we are enjoying reminiscing with our fans, playing in this competition again, and trying to repeat that success.
“Barca are favourites because of the present and what they have done over the last 10 years, but they need to confirm their favourite role.
“The way this league stage goes, to end up finishing it in the first eight we need to avoid any kind of surprise.
“There will be times during the season when you walk your own path, but it needs to be clear the second part of the season is when things will be decided.
“Barcelona have six points, we have nine. We need to find out our personality and make the most of our qualities.”
Methods and reputation
Emery was given carte blanche to change Villa when he replaced Gerrard, and he has transformed them from Premier League strugglers into Europa League winners and Champions League challengers. His methods are intense. Players can sit through several long meetings during the week and may take months to adapt to his demands.
Internally, there is an acceptance that this approach explains why Aaron Wan-Bissaka has struggled so far this season, having not received the same level of coaching at West Ham. The demanding nature of his work also played a part in the departure of former president of football operations Monchi last year, as Emery’s close confidant needed a break. That meticulousness, however, is also what makes Emery and his teams so effective.
Barcelona sources reportedly fear Villa and Emery. They point to the struggles of Alejandro Balde and to Joao Cancelo‘s lack of defensive instinct, believing Villa can exploit them given Emery’s capacity to plan and pounce on an opponent’s weaknesses.
Emery has earned admirers, including Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, for his work at Villa. He has already won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal. “He is one of the best coaches in Europe and the world. He is very successful,” Flick said. “In the way his team plays, you can see a clear structure, and in offence they have different patterns. For me, it is amazing to see his team.
“The start was not easy, but they came back. You can see the confidence they have on the ball, how they play out, and Jackson is at an unbelievable level. For us, it will be a tough game against a good team and, as well, a great coach.”
Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon also called Emery “one of the best in the world” before the game, even though Emery’s record at the Nou Camp is poor. He has lost 14 of his 15 games there and has beaten Barcelona only three times in 30 attempts. His last Champions League game at the stadium ended in collapse, as Paris St-Germain lost 6-1 in the last 16 after winning the first leg 4-0.
Emery is eager to change that record. “Everything happened in that match, we know,” he said. No English club has won at the Nou Camp since Liverpool in 2007. “I started in 2004, playing in Europe 16 years in a row, different competitions, I have learned in all the competitions. In that match I learned so much. The necessity of VAR for football in that moment.
“In my experiences they [his games at the Nou Camp] were giving me a lot of info to learn and get better.
“With the players we are speaking about our experiences together, we have our experience in Europe, in the Champions League two years ago.
“We are facing one of the favourite teams to win the competition, it is a huge challenge. We are confident how we are building the team, how we are facing teams like Barcelona.
“We are here progressing, understanding, setting our demands and competing the level we are, this is the challenge we have.”