- Unai Emery says he is “so happy, so proud” of Aston Villa’s Europa League win
- The Spaniard also praised Pep Guardiola ahead of what is his final match with Manchester City
- Villa travel to the Etihad on Sunday for a 16:00 kick-off UK time
Unai Emery has expressed his immense pride and joy following Aston Villa’s historic Europa League triumph and subsequent double-pathway Champions League qualification. He also opened up about his admiration for the departing Pep Guardiola ahead of what is a rare pressure-free match with Manchester City.
Emery “so happy, so proud” of Europa League win
Villa’s European campaign enabled them to kick-start their season after an abysmal opening run of results, which left them fighting from the lower end of the table.
They won 13 out of their 15 Europa League games, with their final with SC Freiburg finishing 3-0 to the Villans, ending their 30-year wait for a major trophy.
By refusing to compromise on either competition, the team achieved the rare feat of earning Champions League qualification via two separate pathways simultaneously. Reflecting on this incredible journey, Emery shared his immense pride in his pre-match press conference.
“So happy. So happy, so proud. Everything we did makes sense, the effort we were doing all the season.
“When we were starting in pre-season, when we started the season, in August playing matches, when we were in the bottom, and how we reacted, how we were in Europa League, so, so serious playing, and desires to compete until the last moment.
“We were showing our desires and our wishes to be protagonists in this competition. But the priority always was the Premier League, and we were competing in both competitions – as a priority, Premier League, but as well, clearly in Europa League, preparing each game seriously, and competing like we did.
“Today, we are through two competitions, because always, we set it as an objective to get Champions League positions through the Premier League or through the Europa League, and we achieved it in both competitions, and really fantastic, because the players as well, they followed us, this message strongly in the dressing room.”
On Pep Guardiola
Sunday’s fixture will be Pep Guardiola’s final match at Manchester City. In his press conference, Emery praised the Spaniard, calling him the “best coach in the world,” and was grateful for the respect he always showed him.
“It’s my honour, my pleasure, because he’s the best coach in the world. Clearly, he’s a huge inspiration for other coaches. The only genius is him, and as a competitive, he’s wow, because I can identify and I can understand more, watching how he’s managing his team through the chapters in different medias on Amazon or YouTube or everything.
“For me, he’s the best coach, but as well as a person, he’s fantastic. I respect him because I think he’s humble. He’s always so respectful with me, and I can watch as well with other coaches, and in football, and even in the life.
“I really appreciate him a lot, but how he’s representing as well, himself, not only as a coach, as a manager, as well as a person. And for me, it’s a huge respect, a huge pleasure, always when I am facing him.”
Rotated starting XI?
With Villa essentially having nothing to play for, and the celebrations from their Europa League win continuing on, Emery may decide to heavily rotate his team.
“I will try to be serious. I will try to get the best starting 11 players and be focused on respecting the competition, but it’s not easy. Sorry, but it’s not easy!”
Given his comments, Emery will likely name players with limited minutes this season in the starting lineup.
ReadAstonVilla verdict
This match is a free hit for Villa. They have already achieved what they set out to do at the beginning of the season, making this clash their most pressure-free fixture in the last few years.
It will be a rare feeling for the supporters, but one they will certainly enjoy, with all the success they have had in the last few weeks.
