DBasia.news – Villarreal coach Unai Emery insists that fighting a former club is nothing new for him, who this time is Arsenal in the Europa League.
Villarreal secured a place in the semi-finals of the Europa League after defeating Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final at the Stadion de la Ceramica on Friday (16/4).
This victory made Villarreal qualify for the semifinals with a 3-1 aggregate advantage and are scheduled to face Arsenal on April 29th and May 6th.
“First of all, I’m used to meeting former teams. So, the match against Arsenal, where I coached, is nothing new as an experience,” said Emery as quoted by Goal.
“We will face it with humility, pride and responsibility. This is an opportunity to put Villarreal in the top rung of European football,” he continued.
“The key is to enjoy what we have done so far and enjoy the opportunity to break the record all the way to the final.”
As is well known, Emery only lasted 18 months while coaching at Arsenal before being sacked. Emery was brought in by Arsenal as the successor to Arsene Wenger on May 23rd, 2018.
Apart from Arsenal’s poor performance at that time, Emery was also criticized for being considered inadequate in English. This bad communication is considered by many to be an obstacle for the Gunners players having difficulty having a good relationship and understanding Emery’s intentions.