Since Unai Emery took over at Aston Villa, only Arsenal and Manchester City have performed better, but it could have been very different had he taken the job at Newcastle which appealed to him because of how different it was to his Arsenal role.

Unai Emery received an attractive offer to manage Newcastle United in 2021.

• Emery found the Newcastle project appealing, as it presented an opportunity to build a team from scratch, unlike Arsenal.
• Ultimately, Emery decided to stay at Villarreal due to their Champions League involvement and his respect for both clubs.

Emery’s Newcastle attraction

Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery recently opened up about the tempting offer he received from Newcastle United back in 2021.

In a candid interview with The Athletic, Emery discussed the reasons behind his decision to not take up the managerial position at St. James’ Park.

Rebuilding Arsenal

During his time at Arsenal, Emery faced the challenging task of rebuilding the club after Arsène Wenger’s departure.

He explained, “With Arsenal, you first had to knock down the walls, which is hard work, then start to build again.”

In contrast, the Newcastle job was seen as an opportunity to create something from the ground up, which he found appealing.

“The Newcastle project is an attractive project, something to build, different to Arsenal,” said Emery.

“The Premier League is an attractive league for all us coaches. So when Newcastle called me, I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to a serious project. For me, it was a source of pride, satisfaction and I appreciated it.”

Decision to stay at Villarreal

At the time of Newcastle’s approach, Emery was working with Villarreal and had led them into the Champions League. This factor, combined with his respect for both clubs, ultimately influenced his decision to stay at the Spanish side.

“I thought about the offer and I spoke with (Villarreal president) Fernando Roig but I also had to take into account that we were in the Champions League with Villarreal, mid-season,” he explained.

“In the end, with a lot of respect for Villarreal, and a lot of respect for Newcastle, I decided to stay here. I am happy here and we are doing an important job.”

Emery at Arsenal

Unai Emery’s tenure as Arsenal manager lasted from May 2018 to November 2019. He was appointed as the head coach following the departure of long-serving manager Arsène Wenger. Emery came to Arsenal with a strong résumé, having won numerous titles with his previous clubs.

Before joining Arsenal, Emery had managed several clubs, achieving notable success with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Sevilla. At PSG, he won the Ligue 1 title, two Coupe de France titles, and two Coupe de la Ligue titles during his two-year stint from 2016 to 2018.

However, his time at PSG was marred by the club’s inability to make a deep run in the UEFA Champions League.

Emery’s most significant achievements came during his time at Sevilla, where he managed the team from 2013 to 2016. Under his guidance, Sevilla won three consecutive UEFA Europa League titles from 2014 to 2016, earning him a reputation as a specialist in that competition.

Before Sevilla, Emery had managerial spells at several Spanish clubs, including Valencia (2008-2012), where he consistently secured top-four finishes in La Liga and reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. He also coached Almería (2006-2008), leading them to promotion to La Liga for the first time in their history, and had brief stints at Lorca Deportiva (2005-2006) and his first managerial role at CD Alcalá (2004-2005).

At Arsenal, Emery’s time was characterised by mixed results.

In his first season, he led the team to the Europa League final, where they lost to Chelsea, and finished fifth in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification.

The following season started poorly, with a series of disappointing results and performances, ultimately leading to his dismissal in November 2019.