Ivan Rakitic has told Bayern Munich they may regret not luring Unai Emery from Aston Villa, as he’d be a huge hit for the Bundesliga giants.
The midfielder has been speaking to BILD about his former manager, who he worked with and enjoyed success under, at Sevilla.
Emery’s stock is continuing to rise this season as he pushes Aston Villa towards the Champions League and guides them towards the Europa Conference League final.
It’s been another year of rapid progression for Aston Villa under his leadership, with the club having been in the pits of despair when he arrived to replace Steven Gerrard.
His impressive work has not gone unnoticed, nor does it deserve to be, and he had found himself on the potential list of replacements for Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
Aston Villa and Emery quickly put an end to that this week, though, signing a new long-term agreement that is likely to be looked at again in the summer to ensure all parties are happy.
That could come back to haunt Bayern according to Rakitic, who has nothing but praise for his former manager.
“Unai is one of the best coaches I have had so far in my career,” he said.
“Bayern would certainly have enjoyed him.” He explains: “With his way of leading a team, he is one of the few who manages to build a close connection with a complete squad with over 20 players and maintain it.
“He is not only convincing everyone from his idea of fast attacking football – he also understands the different characters in his team and knows what approach they each need.
“This success doesn’t surprise me either, it’s not a coincidence. Thanks to his international experience, Unai is now even better than when we were in Seville. He is a trainer at the absolute top level!”
