Unai Emery on new Aston Villa signings, leaving Spain and a new challenge

In an exclusive interview with Diario AS, Unai Emery discussed his plans as the new Aston Villa manager.

The January transfer window is just around the corner, how will you approach it?

“We have a month and a half before the transfer window. For now, we are focusing on the players we already have, trying to improve their individual performances, and give them the confidence to improve. And then I think we will improve with the transfer market, but first, we have to believe in our players.”

Do you think that your departure from Spain, in the context in which it is taking place, is causing people to assume that the Premier League is at a higher level than La Liga in terms of opportunities?

“Both the Spanish league and the English league are two of the best in the world. But what does the Premier League give me? A building project. A building project logically wants to be done with the idea of winning a title, of being in Europe. It’s a big challenge but with that idea as a starting point. It is ambitious, difficult and I take it from that perspective.”

So is this the biggest challenge of your coaching career?

“Every challenge is different. To say it’s the biggest is perhaps too bold, but it’s true that it’s a challenge, with the experience I have, with what I’ve done, I also want to test myself again and see how far I’m capable of going.”

GSFN | Kieran Quaile

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