Emery close to tears as new Aston Villa boss bids emotional farewell to Villarreal

The former Arsenal boss is on his way back to the Premier League and will take charge at Villa Park on November 1 - and looked close to tears as he bid farewell in his final press conference.

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The news was confirmed on Monday that Emery had agreed a deal to succeed Steven Gerrard as Villa's new manager, with the Midlands club paying £5.2million in compensation to land him.

The 50-year-old will return to the Premier League having rebuilt his reputation following difficult spells in charge at Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

Emery guided PSG to the Ligue 1 title, two French Cups and two French League Cups during his two seasons in charge, but his time in Paris is widely considered a failure over the club's lack of challenge in Europe, and he left by mutual consent at the end of the 2017/18 season.

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He then decided to take on the unenviable task of succeeding Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, and that did not go to plan. He reached a Europa League final, but the Gunners were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea, and he was sacked in November 2019 after 18 months at the helm.

Already a three-time Europa League winner with Sevilla, Emery then returned to his homeland to take charge of Villarreal, where he says he rekindled his love for football.

A city of only around 50,000 people, and with an average matchday attendance of around 16,000, Villarreal has punched well above their weight domestically and in Europe since Emery took control, with back-to-back seventh place finishes in LaLiga and the Spanish side crowned Europa League champions in 2020/21.

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That earned them qualification to last season's Champions League, where Emery's side went as far as the semi-final where they were beaten 5-2 on aggregate by Liverpool - an incredible feat for a club of its size and comparatively meagre resources.

And he did it with a squad featuring a host of ex-Premier League players - some would say 'rejects' - including former Liverpool duo Pepe Reina and Alberto Moreno, ex-Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin, Etienne Capoue formerly of Watford, ex-Tottenham defender Juan Foyth and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, currently on loan from Spurs.

Emery looked tearful across to club president Fernando Roig, who has transformed the club's fortunes since taking charge in 1997, as he said his farewells, saying he was waving goodbye to his 'home'.

And just why is he taking the Villa job if he feels such a connection to Villarreal? Emery said it was his 'professional' head that had won in a battle with his footballing 'heart' - it was too good an opportunity to turn down returning to a league he is 'passionate' about.

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"I thank Fernando for the personal and affective [affectionate] relationship, especially for respect," he said.

"I thank employees and technicians, Jose Manuel [the legendary vice-president who passed away aged 74 in October], for being key, and to all of Villarreal and its fans for everything and for how good they have made me feel.

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"I came to Villarreal to achieve some challenges that they had almost touched and I had achieved. I appreciate your trust and I think we have lived up to it. That makes it possible for us to be here like this with this farewell.

"This is a professional decision, I left home with the idea of ​​opening myself up to the professional world with all its consequences. I knew that I was leaving my comfort zone and that this was going to be my path as a professional.

"Here I have felt some heart again, but the profession is within me. For this reason, I have decided that I should go for this option, since it is a different challenge and one that I think I should take, and that is why I have done it.

"These are different times and different opportunities, last year I considered no and now I consider yes, but always from the professional side.

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"Here I have been very me, I knew that I was going to work and would have everything to be my best version, and that is how it has been. At Villarreal I've had everything, here what I've had is a home."

On the decision to take the Aston Villa job, Emery added: "You make a decision and you must have a broader vision, I came here and thanked Javier Calleja [the manager he succeeded] for qualifying for the Europa League. I won that Europa League for them.

"But each league, each club and each context is different. I leave a project alive in the league and in the Conference, with the hope that it continues like this or better. And now I face another one that I like and am passionate about."

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Roig also insisted that Villarreal and Emery part on the best of terms, even though he admits the popular manager's exit leaves the club 'a little screwed up'.

"Unai has fulfilled his contract and therefore we thank him for his effort, his professionalism and his work," said the chief.

"We have had a great relationship and for that we thank him for his efforts, we understand that he is a professional and therefore he has decided to accept another offer. An option that comes to him because of his work, which is honoured.

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"We finished well, but he catches us on the wrong foot in a rare season [Villarreal are currently seventh after a mixed start]. We appreciate his work, but it is true that he leaves us with a changed foot.

"We wish you the best, he leaves us a little screwed up, but those of us who are here are going to move on. We have been a little bad, but we thank you and we wish you the best."

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