Unai Emery has earned the status of being an Aston Villa legend by bringing European success back to Villa Park.
A dominant 3-0 win in the Europa League final meant that Aston Villa won their first European trophy since 1982.
Unai Emery also led Aston Villa to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League table, securing Champions League qualification for the 2026/27 season.
In his four years at Villa Park, Emery has taken the club from battling relegation to a European powerhouse. There was even talk of Villa in a Premier League title race under the Spaniard.
What comes next for Unai Emery?
Emery is building a legacy at Villa and creating a team capable of competing for football’s biggest honours.
If Villa are able to hold onto key players and continue investing in Emery’s project, there is no ceiling for this side.
But keeping hold of Emery is perhaps Villa’s biggest challenge. With 13 major trophies now to his name, he will be a target for top management jobs across Europe.
Villa fans debating on the TalkingPoints platform argued that one job could lure Emery away from Villa Park. The Spain national team job.
One user wrote: “I think he’d love the Spain job… he’s completed most things in club football. Maybe if Spain crash out in the World Cup, they’ll laser in on Emery.”
Spain are preparing to tackle the 2026 World Cup under manager Luis de la Fuente, who replaced Luis Enrique in the role. But as pointed out by one TalkingPoints user, Emery, who was born in the Basque region Hondarribia, could be tempted by the Spain job if it emerges.
According to talkSPORT, Emery was also a candidate for the Real Madrid job, and convincing him to stay at Villa Park would prove difficult if the Spanish giants came calling.
Aston Villa lack firepower away from home.
What is the difference at Villa Park?
What Aston Villa must do to keep Unai Emery
There should be no concerns over Emery’s adoration of Aston Villa. The Spaniard has frequently spoken about how comfortable he feels at Villa Park.
Emery signed a contract extension as recently as May 2024 which will keep him at Villa until 2029.
As part of that contract extension, Emery was granted full control of team operations and input into the long-term project planning.
That is where is key to keep Emery on side. The Spaniard wants to have control behind the scenes, and he will no doubt be demanding investment and backing from owners NSWE.
If Villa can continue to show ambition in the transfer windows and invest in the club’s infrastructure, like the £100 million redevelopment of Villa Park, then that should help to convince Emery he is in the right place.
