Video 1 min read

A different league

A different league
Sergio Cueto
Author
The Coaches' Voice
Published on
April 6 2022

Unai emery

Villarreal, 2020–

"When I came to Arsenal, the truth is that the first task was for me to adapt to what Arsenal represents"

Current Villarreal manager Unai Emery was given the unenviable task of replacing the great Arsène Wenger as Arsenal's manager when the Frenchman departed in 2018 following a 22-year reign. Emery, who had proven himself at Sevilla by winning the Europa League in three successive seasons before taking over at Paris Saint-Germain and winning Ligue 1, faced the toughest task of his career in north London. In taking over from Wenger, he was asked to succeed one of the most influential managers of all time in his first role in English football.

What followed was a promising first season in which he led Arsenal to fifth in the Premier League and the Europa League final. Speaking exclusively to The Coaches' Voice, here Emery looks back on his time in London, and what he refers to as "the beautiful side" of the English football culture.