Unai Emery

Unai Emery Etxegoien was born on November 3, 1971, in Hondarribia, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. He played as a left-sided midfielder and was a youth graduate of Real Sociedad, making five La Liga appearances and scoring one goal. He spent the majority of his playing career in Spain’s Segunda División, accumulating 215 matches and nine goals over seven seasons with clubs including Real Sociedad B, Toledo, Racing Ferrol, and Leganés. Emery concluded his playing career with Lorca Deportiva at the age of 32 in 2004, after one season in Segunda División B. His family has a significant history in football, with his father Juan and grandfather Antonio also playing professionally as goalkeepers, the latter for Real Unión in the top division. Unai Emery himself became the majority shareholder of Real Unión in 2021, and his son Lander later joined the club as a goalkeeper, continuing the family’s football legacy.

Emery transitioned into management in 2004 after a knee injury. He began his managerial career at Lorca Deportiva, leading them to their first-ever promotion to the Segunda División in his inaugural season. His success continued at Almería, guiding them to their first promotion to La Liga in 2007. He joined Valencia in 2008, where he consistently achieved top-three finishes, securing UEFA Champions League qualification. After a brief period with Spartak Moscow, Emery took charge of Sevilla in 2013, achieving unprecedented success by winning three consecutive UEFA Europa League titles from 2014 to 2016. These victories established Sevilla as the most successful club in the competition’s history and solidified Emery’s reputation as a specialist in European knockout football.

His career then progressed to Paris Saint-Germain in 2016, where he won a Ligue 1 title, two Coupe de France titles, two Coupe de la Ligues, and two Trophée des Champions, including a domestic quadruple in his second season. In 2018, Emery was appointed head coach of Arsenal, succeeding Arsène Wenger. He led Arsenal to the Europa League final in his first season, finishing as runner-up. After a period of inconsistent results, he departed Arsenal in 2019. He was then appointed manager of Villarreal in 2020, leading them to their first major trophy, the UEFA Europa League, in his inaugural season, and reaching the Champions League semi-finals in the subsequent season. In October 2022, Emery returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa, transforming the team from a relegation battle to securing UEFA Europa Conference League qualification in his first season and achieving UEFA Champions League qualification in 2023-24, further extending his contract with the club.