As the saying goes: once a Gooner, always a Gooner!
Villarreal head coach Unai Emery is gearing up for a tricky UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie, with the Liga outfit set to take on Bayern Munich for a spot in the semis. While the focus has been solely on Wednesday's showdown, the Spanish boss managed to sit down for an interview with the Athletic in which he discussed his time with Arsenal.
The former Sevilla tactician, known for leading the Andalusian club to three consecutive Europa League titles, spent just over a year in charge of the north London giants. During his debut season, Emery led the Gunners to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League while making the Europa League final, which they eventually lost to Chelsea.
Everything would derail in his second season, which subsequently resulted in his sacking, but Unai has remained respectful towards his former employers. Due to this affiliation, the Spaniard was asked about a few of his Villarreal players who used to represent Tottenham, Arsenal's bitter north London rivals, sparking a sly dig from the tactician.
While Spurs have been a top side for years, their biggest flaw has been their inability to win silverware. This was the sole reason behind Harry Kane's desire to leave last summer, with Emery echoing this sentiment in his interview with the Athletic.
"Tottenham is also a very big club, but here they (those players) could win things," the Yellow Submarine coach said.
"Tottenham has been years without winning anything, no trophies. There are other very good teams in England who do not win things either. It is not easy to win. Liverpool and Manchester City are winning at the moment, recently it was Manchester United and Chelsea too. Teams like West Ham are very good, but they have hardly any chance of winning anything."
These comments have been well received by the Arsenal fan base, and understandably so, as supporters always love to banter their rival clubs. As for Unai, he looks to continue his great work at Villarreal, with the Spanish outfit making it to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after winning last season's Europa League crown, beating Arsenal in the semis and Manchester United in the final.
Moreno and Co. drew Juventus in the round of 16 and pulled off an unexpected victory, beating the Italians 3-0 in Turin to make it to the last eight. Unfortunately, Bayern Munich are a totally different beat. Can Villarreal beat Lewandowski and Co. or will this be the end of the road for them? Tune in to find out.
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