Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been hailed as the returning “king” by Spanish newspaper AS ahead of Friday’s friendly against Sevilla.
The AS preview carries the headline “Emery: el rey vuelve a Nervión”, which translates as “Emery: the king returns to Nervión”.
It is a striking tribute to the Villa manager before he takes his current side back to the club where he won three successive Europa League titles.
Villa visit the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán for the Antonio Puerta Trophy, with kick-off at 7.30pm BST on Friday 2 October.
Unai Emery’s Sevilla record explains ‘king’ tribute
Emery’s three European triumphs came against different opponents and through very different finals.
Sevilla beat Benfica on penalties in 2014, overcame Dnipro 3-2 in 2015 and recovered from a goal down to defeat Liverpool 3-1 in 2016.
As UEFA’s account of the Liverpool final recalls, Kevin Gameiro equalised before Coke scored twice to complete the comeback.
That sequence explains why this friendly carries such personal significance for Emery. Our earlier assessment of his Sevilla return explored how those achievements shaped his reputation.
Villa supporters now have their own European success to celebrate under the Spaniard. UEFA records his fifth Europa League title following Villa’s 3-0 victory over Freiburg in May.
Friday offers a reunion between two clubs that have benefited from his work, with the Spanish coverage underlining how warmly his achievements are remembered.
Our Sevilla vs Aston Villa viewing guide has the kick-off, ticket and coverage details.
