Aston Villa manager Unai Emery marks four years at the club on Tuesday as his side face Barcelona at the Nou Camp in the Champions League. Emery arrived in November 2022 with two stated dreams: to win a trophy with Villa and to play in Europe. Both have been achieved – Villa won the Europa League in May, ending a 30-year trophy drought, and now compete in Europe's premier competition.
Emery's anniversary and ambitions
Emery celebrates his 55th birthday on the day of the match. He said the game offers a benchmark to measure Villa's progress against a historic elite club. "We are constantly seeking new challenges and we want to respond in games against Barcelona to see how far we are from them," Emery said. Villa have nine points in the league stage, Barcelona six; Emery stressed the need to avoid surprises to finish in the top eight.
Villa's summer changes and Emery's control
Despite losing players such as Emi Martinez, Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ollie Watkins (who moved to Saudi Arabia), Villa signed Johan Manzambi from Freiburg. Emery signed a contract extension to 2029 after the Europa League triumph, and the club threatened legal action when pundit Jamie Carragher suggested Emery would leave for a traditionally bigger club. Emery's intense methods – including multiple long meetings per week – have transformed Villa from Premier League strugglers to European contenders, though they have also contributed to the departure of former football operations president Monchi.
Barcelona's respect and Emery's Nou Camp record
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick called Emery "one of the best coaches in Europe and the world," praising his team's structure and offensive patterns. Winger Anthony Gordon also labelled Emery "one of the best in the world." However, Emery's record at the Nou Camp is poor: he has lost 14 of 15 games there and beaten Barcelona only three times in 30 attempts. His last Champions League appearance at the stadium was Paris Saint-Germain's 6-1 collapse in 2017 after a 4-0 first-leg lead. No English team has won at the Nou Camp since Liverpool in 2007. Emery said those experiences have provided valuable lessons, including the need for VAR, and he is eager to change his record to further cement his status.
