Aston Villa will become the sixth club Unai Emery has led to the Champions League. Photo: PA/Barrington Coombs
From the Championship to the Champions League in five years, Aston Villa's upward trajectory has been remarkable, but the date 24 October 2022 marked the turning point.
The arrival of Unai Emery Echegoyen gave it to the famous old club turbo incentive. and has sparked a renaissance that will undoubtedly elevate his status as a manager to elite levels.
Villa will be competing in Europe's top competition for the first time since 1983 (watch them celebrate in the video below), and in there is no doubt about it. that Emery will not stop there.
The pursuit of excellence is endless and Emery will feel that the Champions League is just the beginning of a new era.
On the day of his opening, he sat in the ornate hall of the Villa Park Hotel's Directors' Club. he spoke ambitiously of his desire to first win a trophy and then take the club into Europe.
Although silverware has eluded them this season, after last week's Europa Conference League semi-final defeat to Olympiacos, that achievement will be It feels like you're lifting a trophy.
Villa will be guaranteed at least £50 million for qualifying and the appeal of the competition will help persuade new players to join the journey.
Spending will still be limited by the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules, which are being reviewed by seniors by club officials as limiting ambition.
However, increased revenue and sponsorship will support the club's growth and continued sustainability under the leadership of owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
NSWE could not have imagined Emery would have the impact he has.
Villa co-owners Nassef Sawiris are understood to have ( left) and Wes Edens are planning further negotiations this summer over Emery's contract
Discussions will begin in the summer for a lucrative long-term contract that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the world.
What a ride it's already been under the man whom they call «Mr.»
A football obsessive man, Villa have averaged just under two points per game since Emery's appointment.
Each player has improved individually, taking their games to the next level through a combination of excellent coaching and analysis.
>< p>Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, Ezri Konsa and even captain John McGinn are just some of the stars who have progressed rapidly under his leadership.
Emery has never been one to shy away from the finer details. stops preparing for the next test.
Pau Torres, a defender, said earlier this season: «Tactically, we know exactly where the opposition players will be on the field when we go into this game.»
Long meetings are the norm, with every aspect of the game discussed in detail. Pre-season was considered an important part of the season, with Emery laying out his philosophy to the players in more detail. Despite the joy of finishing in the top four, Emery will also reflect on whether the season could have been even better.
A worrying list of injuries has devastated his team and has proved insurmountable in recent energy-sapping weeks. They were without Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Buendia, Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Camara, Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Rogers, Nicolo Zaniolo and Alex Moreno in the crucial second-leg semi-final in Piraeus last Thursday.
While other coaches Using injuries as the reason for his failures (Manchester United's Erik ten Hag comes to mind), Emery is driven by a «no excuses» culture.
Torres, a £31m signing from Villarreal, has also missed much of the season through injury. Like Camara, Torres is one of Villa's most valuable players who often goes unnoticed.
Since joining Club Pau Torres became an indispensable player in Villa's back line. Photo: Getty Images/Neville Williams
There will inevitably be a feeling that these injuries have delayed a top-four finish or prevented them from winning the European trophy in Athens later this month.
Villa will be looking to strengthen this summer and Emery is determined to do so. target midfielders and wingers.
Emery's message to potential recruits will always be the same: he takes his business seriously and is fully committed to the development of the club.
To sound Cautious, next season will be not easy. Although the Thursday and Sunday requirements will be scrapped, many of Villa's players have never performed at this level before.
Newcastle have struggled to juggle European football with domestic competition this season.
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Next season will be a new obstacle for Emery. The level of opposition will also be high. However, there is no doubt that he will be perfectly prepared. Winner of four European trophies, he has been here before.
Indeed, Villa will become the sixth club that Emery has led to the Champions League. As we all learned under the guidance of the brilliant Basque coach, anything is possible.
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