Over the past 17 years, since leaving Almeria, Unai Emery has won 4 European championships. Not as magnificent as Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti or Pep Guardiola - the greats of the Champions League. However, if choosing a solid position in the coaching world on the old continent, Emery always has the highest position.
Last season was his greatest success in the English league, helping Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League for the first time. A mid-table team, historically concerned with relegation, has now broken the monopoly of the Big Six. In fact, the Villans promise to maintain their competitive edge for many more years to come.
"With players, sometimes just giving them confidence is enough. I always want to send them a message of trust and always be ready for any situation.
Players need to feel comfortable in the tactical scheme, especially confident in the position they are playing, and feel trusted by the coach. Football is not just about tactical calculations, it needs more than that" - Unai Emery recalls his early days with Almeria.
Later, when he moved to Valencia, Emery showed another side that helped him become more special and talented over time. Many tactical training videos were "dug up" to show that the Spanish strategist was always very meticulous, dedicated and instructive to each player.
"When managing players, you need to understand what they are thinking. Try to grasp their emotions, be close to them, and support them more in life and work" - Emery shared.
As a player, Emery shared that he did not have the habit of reading books. The Spanish strategist said that it was not until he became a coach, especially during his time at Mestalla, that he developed that habit. Reading books helps Emery learn more things off the field and apply them to work.
"When I was a player, I didn't read books. When I became a coach, everything gradually changed. It helped me and gave me a lot of life experience. Through that, I can apply it to help the players.
Reading helps me regain balance in life. When participating in a competitive tournament, always haunted by the results of continuous wins and losses, thanks to reading, I was able to keep calm to face fans and the media.
At Valencia, I bought books to give to the players. Hopefully in the near future, I will do that at this club" - Emery shared.
Aston Villa’s schedule this season will be very heavy as they have to stretch themselves in 4 arenas, especially the Premier League and Champions League. The team will need to use all the players they have and everyone will have to give their best. For Emery, this may seem like a big obstacle at first glance, but the 52-year-old coach is very excited.
"I like playing a lot of games. I like to enjoy the atmosphere of different competitions, like the fierce competition. The team will face a very tight schedule and we need to know how to arrange it.
The players must always be full of energy. I also have to improve myself to be more productive, so that the whole team can stand firm in many different tournaments. I will demand a lot from them, the only way is to work really hard.
We are temporarily replacing some clubs with more money than Aston Villa. I always believe this team can do it in the long term" - Emery shared.
