Aston Villa appoint Unai Emery as manager
2 min read
Aston Villa have announced the appointment of Unai Emery as their new head coach.
The Lions dismissed Steven Gerrard from his post in the wake of their 3-0 loss to Fulham in midweek and have moved quickly to bring ex-Arsenal boss Emery back to the Premier League.
Emery was contracted to Villarreal until 2023, but the 50-year-old was quickly identified as a leading target to succeed Gerrard at Villa Park and has ended his stint with the Yellow Submarine to join the club.
Villa have confirmed that Emery will officially begin his managerial duties on November 1, with the Spaniard still needing to sort out the formalities of his work permit to return to England.
As a result, Emery’s first game in charge of Aston Villa could come in their home clash with Manchester United on November 6, and he leaves Villarreal after a spell of two years and three months.
During his time in charge of the Yellow Submarine, Emery steered the club to glory in the 2020-21 Europa League, as they overcame Manchester United on penalties in the final.
Villarreal also endured a magical run to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, overcoming Bayern Munich and Juventus before becoming unstuck against Liverpool in the final four.
The Yellow Submarine could only post a disappointing seventh-placed finish in the 2021-22 La Liga campaign, and Emery leaves with the club in the same position after 11 games this term.
