Forget Pep Guardiola; Unai Emery Is The Spanish Boss Wowing Europe

Unai Emery is a skilled, meticulous soccer manager, yet his teams’ abilities have tended to shine through in bursts. When it comes to the elite managers’ circle, failing to transform Arsenal and fully deliver at Paris Saint Germain has left him cast away from names like Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp. With his Villarreal team hitting its groove in Europe, that may no longer be the case.

Villarreal claimed a memorable 1-0 win against Bayern Munich to steal the advantage going into the second leg of its Champions League quarterfinal tie. Arnaut Danjuma, the club’s record signing at around €25 million ($27 million), scored the precious goal on a disappointing night for Robert Lewandowski and his teammates in Castellón.

Emery’s ideas were not enough to turn Arsenal into a real force. The London club has been taking two steps forward and one step back for some time now, so Emery being the answer to all its problems was a little off the mark. The squad lacked harmony, with the undeniably talented Mesut Özil withdrawn back then, so there were understandable doubts. Add a game-changing near-miss in a Europa League final against Chelsea, and a promising project began to unravel.

In another high-stakes environment, Emery failed to do what has eluded everyone in Paris; to win the Champions League trophy. When the cup makes its way across a row of hands in late May this year, Lionel Messi won’t be touching it, nor will Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. Nevertheless, the side’s colossal downfall—exposed by a staggering result in which Barcelona overturned a 4-0 deficit to win against Emery’s men—was a particularly embarrassing moment at the helm and something he had to accept.

And that makes his current standing so commendable; his comeback, you could say. Whatever happens against the highly valued Bayern lineup in the second Champions League clash, Villarreal is a novel force with him in charge. After winning the Europa League last term and starting this La Liga season rather poorly, his—and perhaps Villarreal’s—crowning moment seemed to have come and gone. But no, not in the slightest. Emery has recovered from his setbacks to foster a winning mentality at a team competing for silverware.

Ranking him against compatriots Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone is tough going. Their sides are also vying for Europe’s top prize, yet with different pressures. Manchester City has never won the Champions League, a burden Guardiola and his extraordinary soccer mind are yet to overcome in England, at least. Despite being La Liga champion, Atlético Madrid—also yet to win it—plays the dark horse well but knows its capabilities. Villarreal, in truth, is the real underdog. And yet, for all City and Atlético’s superior play and memorable Champions League nights, there is a case for Emery being the most successful in Europe and in with an equal chance on this occasion.

Winning a Europa League and Champions League in consecutive seasons would be extraordinary by any team’s standard—not least for a club that has evolved from relative obscurity in recent years. Villarreal ticks best in a fluid attacking system, where auxiliary forwards like wingers Arnaut Danjuma and young Yéremy Pino contribute goals while Pau Torres leads by example at the back. When they click, you see a fluent, offensive eleven. It has sometimes gone missing this season, with the Yellow Submarine floating just above mid-table in the league, but the performances in Europe have more than softened that shortcoming.

Emery’s teams fit European competition well, and he has won the Europa League a record four times, three coming with Sevilla. Manchester City’s two-legged quarterfinal with Atlético sells as a battle of two great soccer technicians in Guardiola and Simeone. Yet a Villarreal victory over Bayern would blow the winner of that clash out of the water. Emery has performed best at aspirational clubs without the sky-high expectations of the top sides. He’s an ideal match for Villarreal and will now be glad he stayed after renewed interest from the Premier League around the beginning of this campaign.

The best thing is that he can hardly fail. Villarreal has exceeded expectations in the Champions League, no matter what comes next. Asides from the results themselves, arguably the most impressive thing is the side’s ambition to achieve more. Away in Turin against Juventus, one goal was good. In the end, it walked away with three to convincingly continue its pursuit. That’s the sign of a hungry, ambitious team in steady hands. Danjuma, for one, is not overawed. For him, winning the biggest prize is the only aim.