When a giant falls on a big European night, there usually isn’t a sweeter feeling for neutral fans and competitors alike. In the wake of Villarreal’s massive win at two feet over German Bayern Munich last night, the focus has once again been directed to coach Unai Emery as his tradition of success in Europe.
Win 2-1 on aggregate El Submarino Amarillo He will surely become one of the greatest upheavals in Champions League history after checking out some aspect of Bayern’s pedigree in both the Bundesliga and the continent. Villarreal – now – has reached the semi-finals of Europe’s top club competition for only the second time in the Serie A youth story that began in 1998-99, and Emery deserves an incalculable amount of credit for his recent achievements.
!#UCL pic.twitter.com/ZODE7fUFRW
– Villarreal CF English (VillarrealCFen) April 12 2022
The bipedal shock-related data points speak of the level of shock that dominated both the dedicated support and neutral onlookers. Across both legs, Bayern dominated possession (62.5%) while scoring three times as many attempts on goal (45 – 15), but only managed eight shots on the frame. However, Emery and his men bucked the data trend after scoring from each of their efforts successfully finding their way to German strongman Manuel Neuer. To say the result was a shock wouldn’t do her justice.
Villarreal fueled by ‘lack of respect’
But don’t tell veteran midfielder Danny Parejo. The Coslada native hasn’t made a word in regards to how he and his clubmates are Use the disrespect shown by Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann As fuel to beat one of the biggest names in club football.
“When the draw was made and they made Villarreal, their coach, whom I don’t know, he respected not only Villarreal, but football as well by saying he wanted to tie the tie in the first leg.”
“It was disrespectful towards us. Sometimes when you spit, it falls on your face.”
Bayern TV after drawing Villarreal, with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic laughing: “Let’s put it this way: it’s a very manageable draw.” *chuckle* HT @mxnu1893 pic.twitter.com/wUUOaAiw1x
– Archie Rinde Tutt (@archiert1) April 12 2022
The same sentiment was shared by Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, who was interviewed live during the Champions League quarter-final draw and was seen laughing at himself as he answered his thoughts on a draw against Emery and his team, Villarreal.
In fact, Parejo was right about the money in his assessment as well. Bayern have always been one of the most arrogant clubs in Europe, and they certainly maintain that image off the field and on the pitch domestically despite a lot of image building they’ve done over the years, namely when they helped save Borussia Dortmund from financial collapse.
But despite the good deeds, the indomitable atmosphere that has always gripped the Bavarian side’s carriers returned home to settle in when they battled one of Unai Emery’s most proficient coaches in knockout ball, who deserves an enormous amount of praise for his ability. To organize a team that contains quite a few “untouchables” in the Premier League such as Francis Coquelin, Serge Aurier, Alberto Moreno and Etienne Capoy.
Unai Emery European domination
Although a feeling of disrespect has been the fuel to propel Villarreal forward, much of the story must – correctly – be told to Unai Emery after he led another team back into the final stages of the European Championship.
Emery already had continental success at La Ceramica when he led Villarreal to his first-ever major honor after sending Manchester United on penalties in the Europa League final in yet another episode of the giant killing that is now so familiar in his managerial CV, regardless of the touchline. who patrols it.
To reach the Red Devils led by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Emery first had to outsmart his former employers Arsenal in the semi-finals after having comfortably led Dinamo Zagreb, Dynamo Kyiv and Red Bull Salzburg in the previous rounds. But outsmarting a former opponent and former employer – the biggest remaining club in the competition – was a vindication of a man who some feel was unjustifiably removed from his position in the Emirates before Arsenal appointed Mikel Arteta.
WARSAW, POLAND – MAY 27: Seville coach Unai Emery accepts the trophy after the Europa League final match between FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Sevilla on May 27, 2015 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)
And when it comes to the Europa League, Emery is certainly a model of success in Europe’s ‘second’ club competition throughout his career, winning the competition four times in eight seasons and racking up three successive competition victories while in charge. From his La Liga colleague Seville before finally reaching the final with Arsenal after only three seasons to crush rivals Chelsea in the Premier League.
However, his overall record in the competition is outstanding, despite the impressive trophy where the Hndaribia-born player scored 65-22-13 in a Europa League match, a record that includes four wins from four qualifying matches. Perhaps most impressively, in seven of his eight seasons in which he competed, he reached at least the quarter-finals on every occasion.
But when it comes to the Champions League, his record is less impressive, and the current season is the only occasion on which he led his career after the round of 16 despite his strong coaching French Paris Saint-Germain for the 2016-2017 seasons. She only racked up a record of 22-11-18 all the way through; 63 points / game less than his record in the European League.
Perhaps his biggest criticism has been his inability to turn his continental success into tangible results in the league regardless of whether he is in Spain, Russia, France or England despite the stature of clubs like Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Now in his 16th season managing clubs in the first division, Emery has only managed to lead the club to fourth place on five occasions. Two of those – predictably – came from his days in the French capital, while three more came during his time with Valencia.
Perhaps ironically, with the clubs with the most success on the European front – Sevilla and Villarreal – they have never managed to finish the league higher than fifth, assuming Villarreal have been unable to climb two places between now and the end of the current La Liga season.
However, a European success specialist like Unai Emery certainly has value. A place on the continental scene for clubs that, although they may not be built for domestic success at the top of the football pyramid, there should always be a swan song or an underdog story. In that light, there is little better than it.
