Aston Villa appoints Unai Emery as new head coach

Unai Emery, the former head coach of Arsenal, will take over as the head coach of Aston Villa in November, the English club revealed on Monday.

Leaving his position at Spanish club Villarreal, Emery replaces Steven Gerrard, who was fired last week after Aston Villa lost to Fulham 3-0.

In a statement, the Midlands club said: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the appointment of Unai Emery as the club’s new head coach.”

Aston Villa described Emery as a “highly experienced top-level coach who has managed over 900 games”.

The 50-year-old took Villarreal to the Europa League final in 2021, where they defeated Manchester United, and then guided them to the Champions League semifinals, where they fell to Liverpool.

Before that, he led Sevilla to three straight Europa League victories between 2013 and 2016, and then he led Paris Saint-Germain to victory in France’s Ligue 1.

He guided Arsenal during his tenure there to the 2019 Europa League final, where Chelsea humiliated them 4-1.

Emery, whose contract with Villarreal was set to expire at the end of this season, will take over on November 1 if work permit requirements are finished, according to Aston Villa.

Emery previously served as manager of Arsenal for 18 months before being fired as a result of a losing streak of seven games. This will be his second Premier League tenure.

Gerrard, a former midfielder for both Liverpool and England, paid the price for Aston Villa’s disastrous start to the season, which has left the team hovering only one spot above the Premier League relegation zone.

Only two of Aston Villa’s 11 league games this season have ended in victories, and the club’s management finally snapped and fired Gerrard after just 11 months in command after their abject surrender at Craven Cottage.

Emery will conduct a farewell press conference on Tuesday at the team’s practice facility, according to Villarreal.

Aston Villa appoints Unai Emery as new head coach