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Tag: Unai Emery

  • Villarreal appoint Unai Emery on three-year deal

    Villarreal appoint Unai Emery on three-year deal

    Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been named new coach of Villarreal.

    The Spaniard has signed a contract to 2023 and replaces Javi Calleja.

    Villarreal will play in the Europa League next season after finishing fifth in the LaLiga.

  • Arsenal made a mistake appointing Emery – Lehmann

    Arsenal made a mistake appointing Emery – Lehmann

    Arsenal “made a mistake” in appointing Unai Emery as manager, says Jens Lehmann, with a Spanish coach who spoke little English always destined to fail and waste the “big present” handed to him.

    The Gunners found themselves in the market for a new head coach during the summer of 2018.

    Club legend Arsene Wenger had taken the decision to walk away from a role in north London that he had occupied for 22 years – delivering three Premier League titles along the way.

    “I was there as an assistant coach two years ago but then Arsene has left and they have changed the whole managerial team and I think they made a mistake by choosing the wrong guys,” Lehmann told Stadium Astro.

    “The people at the top sometimes don’t know what I know about football and they didn’t experience how to win things. So it’s not easy for them.

    “I think he wanted to bring his own staff who couldn’t even speak English.

    “Then a guy like me, who was a player for them, I think he just didn’t want us.

    “I think it was a big present to him that he was picked as a manager for Arsenal because I think he was not good enough because he had this lingual problem.

    “He may have some good ideas in Spanish but he never came across as being transferrable to English football.”

  • Ex-girlfriend claims Emery blamed her for Arsenal sack

    Ex-girlfriend claims Emery blamed her for Arsenal sack

    Unai Emery blames his ex-girlfriend for his demise at Arsenal, it has been claimed.

    The Spaniard was in charge of the Gunners for 18 months but was dismissed last November and replaced by Mikel Arteta.

    And his former lover Sacha Wright, 13 years Emery’s junior at 35, has opened up on their relationship.

    Ms. Wright revealed they split last September before she took Emery back in December, after he had been sacked

    “It was then that he blamed me for getting him the sack,” she told the Sun on Sunday. “He told me I was a white witch as I had brought him so much bad luck.

    “He said, ‘It was the day we broke up that we started to lose’.

    “He told me he was so stressed out that his mind wasn’t in the right place after we separated.

    “I flew out to meet him in San Sebastian just before New Year’s Eve and it was then that he blamed me for Arsenal losing.

    “I trusted Unai and really believed we would get married and have kids together one day.

    “I thought he was a gentleman and a real family man. But in the end I realised he was not ready for a serious relationship.”

  • Emery reacts to Arteta’s appointment at Arsenal

    Emery reacts to Arteta’s appointment at Arsenal

    Unai Emery says Arsenal are making “a good decision” by appointing Mikel Arteta to replace him as manager.

    Emery, 48, was sacked last month after an 18-month spell in charge ended with a seven-game winless run.

    Manchester City assistant boss Arteta was announced as the new Gunners boss on Friday.

    “He really is prepared to make that next jump,” said Emery.

    “He has been at Arsenal before, he’s been in the Premier League and he has been working with Pep Guardiola. I do believe this is a good decision and I would also like it to be a good decision.”

  • Sacked Arsenal manager set for another EPL job

    Sacked Arsenal manager set for another EPL job

    Everton have approached former Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, about replacing Marco Silva, according to Sky Sports.

    An informal meeting was held in London and it is thought that Emery wants more time to think about his next move, following his sack at the Emirates.

    The Spaniard wants to continue improving his English as he sees England, as well as Spain and Italy, as viable options for his next job.

    Everton are also believed to be keen on Shanghai SIPG boss, Vitor Pereira.

    Chairman Bill Kenwright and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri have drawn up a four-man shortlist, which includes Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti.

  • Emery a great leader, Ljungberg hails fallen Arsenal boss

    Emery a great leader, Ljungberg hails fallen Arsenal boss

    Freddie Ljungberg refused to criticise his inheritance from Unai Emery at Arsenal – hailing the departed head coach as a “great leader”.

    Ljungberg took charge of his first game as interim Gunners boss at the weekend, where they twice came from behind in an eventful 2-2 draw at Norwich City.

    It meant Arsenal remained without a Premier League win away from home since the first weekend of the season, while their previous top-flight triumph of any description came on October 6 against Bournemouth.

    Brighton and Hove Albion will be the next team that look to prolong that slump when they visit Emirates Stadium on Thursday, but Ljungberg defended Emery, who led Arsenal to the final of the Europa League last season before promoting the former Sweden international to his first-team coaching setup.

    “I’ve done two training sessions now and I don’t want to talk about the coaches before,” Ljungberg told a pre-match news conference.

    “I think Unai did a great job and was a great leader, and a fantastic coach. That’s not for me to judge. I look forward.

    “The main thing for me was that when we were at Norwich, we hadn’t won an away game since the first game of the season.

    “I felt that the players could react and, in my opinion, we played well offensively. It was good. But now we go forward.”

    Indeed, Ljungberg felt Arsenal’s problems at Carrow Road came in transition, with an under-fire defence frequently exposed as a result.

    “The general feeling is probably the same as I had after the match: we started extremely well, played very well offensively but had a problem transition-wise, so they got shots on target and chances just from the transition of an eight-yard sprint, which we need to stop,” he explained.

    “So that’s something we will focus on. Other things is my feeling that we got in behind their midfield and behind their backline a lot.

    “But if we play a transition game like we did, we won’t win any games, so that’s something that I can coach and try to improve.”

  • EPL: Arsenal believe in Ljungberg following Emery’s sack

    EPL: Arsenal believe in Ljungberg following Emery’s sack

    Joe Willock says Arsenal’s players “believe in” interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg after he drew his first game in charge at Norwich on Sunday.

    Ljungberg has taken the reins on a temporary basis following the sacking of Unai Emery as Arsenal continue to search for a new permanent manager.

    Max Allegri and Brendan Rodgers are on the shortlist for the vacant job, but director Josh Kroenke admitted Arsenal are in no rush to appoint a successor, meaning Ljungberg may stay in charge for the immediate future.

    That would be no issue for Arsenal’s players, after Willock revealed that Ljungberg had the full backing of the squad.

    “To be honest, we know collectively that we need to improve, whoever the manager,” Willock said.

    “Freddie is a brilliant manager. We believe in him and we’re working hard to try and improve.”

    The 20-year-old midfielder also described Emery as a “very good manager” and says Ljungberg told him to “play with happiness” before Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Carrow Road.

    “He said the most important thing was to play with happiness, to get the pride in the badge back and to work to win,” Willock said.

    “Every day in training we’re trying to get that competitiveness back. I feel like [our luck] is going to turn in one game, and we can push on from there. It’s coming, hopefully.

    “Friday is in the past now. Emery was a very good man, a very good manager.”

  • EPL: Xhaka needs to apologize – Unai Emery

    EPL: Xhaka needs to apologize – Unai Emery

    Arsenal manager Unai Emery says Granit Xhaka should apologise after he was involved in an angry confrontation with home fans during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

    The Gunners captain was booed while he walked off the pitch at Emirates Stadium, prompting him to cup his ear.

    Emery said: “Yes [he should apologise]. We make mistakes, we need to apologise and we suggested for him to do that.

    “Really, he knows he was wrong and he feels inside very deep.”

    It is not the first time Xhaka has been booed by his own fans this season, with Emery publicly defending the Switzerland midfielder after a game against Aston Villa last month.

    That uneasy relationship with the Gunners fans did not stop Emery appointing Xhaka as club captain in September after the summer departure of Laurent Koscielny.

    However, Emery has refused to confirm whether Xhaka will remain captain after Sunday’s incident.

    “At the moment I am not speaking and I don’t want to think about that,” the Spaniard added.

    “It is not easy for him and for the team. We spoke yesterday, and Sunday night also, and this morning.

    “He trained normally with the group but he is devastated and sad about the situation.”

  • Crystal Palace fight back to draw at Emirates

    Crystal Palace fight back to draw at Emirates

    Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka was involved in an angry confrontation with his own supporters as Crystal Palace came from two goals down to earn a point in an ill-tempered atmosphere at Emirates Stadium.

    The Gunners were two up inside nine minutes as Sokratis Papastathopoulos and David Luiz took advantage of poor defending at corners – but it was all downhill from there for Arsenal and manager Unai Emery.

    Palace pulled one back before half-time when Luka Milivojevic scored from the spot following a VAR intervention after referee Martin Atkinson initially shown Wilfried Zaha a yellow card for diving in a tangle with Calum Chambers.

    And Palace were level seven minutes after the break when Jordan Ayew headed in James McArthur’s cross at the far post.

    The game turned toxic just after the hour when Xhaka was substituted to roars of delight from Arsenal’s fans, the newly-appointed captain reacting angrily to jeers at his slow departure by waving and cupping his ear sarcastically to the home support, exchanging words before taking off his shirt and disappearing down the tunnel.

    Arsenal’s frustration was summed up when a late strike by Sokratis was ruled out for a foul by Chambers on Gary Cahill.

    BBC

  • Emery reveals why Xhaka was named Arsenal captain

    Emery reveals why Xhaka was named Arsenal captain

    Arsenal manager, Unai Emery has revealed the reasons behind his decision to name Granit Xhaka as the club’s new permanent captain.

    The Swiss international had worn the armband during the opening weeks of the new season and has now been appointed captain on a permanent basis, replacing Laurent Koscielny who left the club to join Bordeaux this summer.

    Xhaka’s appointment as captain is likely to divide the club’s players and fanbase, with Emery as well as the midfielder having come under-fire for a series of below-par performances this season.

    The 27-year-old was jeered by sections of the club’s support following his substitution in the win over Aston Villa last weekend. However Emery has defended the player and backed Xhaka to thrive in his role as leader.

    Speaking on Friday at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Manchester United, Emery said: “He (Xhaka) is mature, he has experience. We are living under pressure and criticism, as a coach, as a player as a club.

    “The most important thing is to stand up in each moment. Go ahead with his quality, with his behaviour, with his commitment and the players voted him as the first leadership.

    “I spoke with him, we want to change that outside opinion [of him]. The respect he has inside is very important.

    “I trust and believe in him. He is a good man, a good professional, a good player. Sometimes he has made mistakes but the most important thing is to analyse, to learn and correct those mistakes.

    “His challenge is to change that opinion and above all, with his personality, and improving each match and giving us his help every time.”