After his fifth Europa League title in his career, perhaps it is time for European football to recognize Unai Emery in his right position. He is one of the best coaches of the current generation.
Emery has never been a coach who likes to attract attention or make big statements. The biggest strength of the Spanish strategist always lies in tactical details, the ability to build a system and how he elevates a whole team.
And Aston Villa's 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final is the clearest proof. This is Emery's fifth European title - a achievement that puts him in the group of the greatest coaches in European cup history, alongside Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Giovanni Trapattoni.
For many years, Emery's career has often been assessed through periods of failure at PSG or Arsenal. But if you look broader, the mark he left at Sevilla, Villarreal and now Aston Villa shows a very clear common point: Emery is particularly excellent in building long-term football projects.
He turned Sevilla into the "king of the Europa League", helped Villarreal win the first European title in history and now makes Aston Villa - a team that struggled in the lower half of the Premier League - become a real power of European football.
What makes Emery different is not only the ability to improve players, but also the ability to change the position of a whole club. Under him, Villa is no longer a team that only tries to compete for European cup tickets. They are now playing with the mentality of a real candidate in the Champions League.
After the final, Emery affirmed that this championship is just the beginning: "My dream when I came here is to be present in Europe and compete for titles. This is our first title, but we will not stop".
The Spanish captain also emphasized that Villa has approached the Europa League with absolute seriousness throughout the season.
I told the players that we must show our desire on the field. And they did it. Some players are used to winning titles, but for many others, this is the first cup in their career" - Emery shared.
More importantly, Emery believes this success will elevate Aston Villa's position on the European football map: "If we continue to improve, play in Europe, reach the final and win titles, the club's brand will become stronger and stronger".
That is exactly what Emery has always done in his coaching career - turning ambitious clubs into truly winning teams. And after all, perhaps what European football needs to do now is no longer to be surprised by Emery's success. Instead, everyone needs to admit that he has long been in the ranks of the best coaches in the world.
