Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has sent a passionate message to supporters ahead of the weekend’s crucial clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Spaniard won 13 of his first 20 league games – including a 10-game unbeaten run – to propel Villa from relegation danger to contenders for European football. Emery has been forced to twice alter his objectives this term, having steered the club away from the bottom of the table and then secured a top-half finish, but he was always ready to adapt his target as the team grew in confidence.
The four-time Europa League winner has been clear about his long-term goal to take Villa to the Champions League but is busy preparing for a potentially season-defining clash with Spurs, who currently sit three points ahead of Villa in the race for the top seven. Emery will hope that the Villa faithful – who he says are loyal in “the same way a religious person goes to mass” – can help push his team to a crucial three points on Saturday.
Unai Emery said: “The supporters are the heart of the badge. They are the ones who are, have been and will be. Those who are professionals in the industry, we are here because of different circumstances, so I always have this respect for the supporters because I am indebted to them. I am here thanks to them. So the work I do, I know it’s for them. I have been in many clubs and I have felt it strongly. The true owner of the club has always been the supporters.”
Emery has made a point of addressing supporters directly in the opening lines of his post-match interviews and, as a result, has quickly developed a bond with Villa fans. He explains that this is because he is aware of his place within the wider fabric of every club he works with.
Unai Emery said: “Football will always go round and round, where the supporters are the most important part and then there’s the rest of us. I always like to remind myself of this because even though I don’t have this direct relationship with them — obviously at the stadium, but not in everyday life or face to face — I know that they are there, they are the heart and I am inside that heart as well.”
A win for Villa on Saturday would signal a huge step towards possibly earning European football for the first time in 13 years. Whether the club eventually misses out or not, it has undoubtedly been a successful season and Emery has no doubts about his aims as Villa boss.
Unai Emery said: “I want to build an Aston Villa squad that plays in the Champions League. At the end of the day, we are still in the process of building. So am I surprised? I could say yes, I could say no, but in the end I aim to be ready before anything else, adapt to every match and win every match.”
