Fenerbahçe’s Marco Asensio says he enjoyed working under Unai Emery at Aston Villa during the second half of last season.
Monday’s edition of Marca have published a detailed interview with the 29-year-old.
He left Real Madrid as a free agent and joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. The attacking midfielder lost his place at PSG under Luis Enrique. This saw Aston Villa sign him on loan in January.
Asensio starred during his temporary stay with the Villans, scoring eight goals and contributing an assist from 21 matches.
The newspaper specifically asked the Spain international about his experience of playing under Emery at Aston Villa. When responding to that, he gave an insight into the coach’s management techniques.
“Very good with Unai. He’s an incredible coach, who pays attention to every detail and, personally, is very close to the players,” he said.
“We had a spectacular second half of the season, winning almost every Premier League game, reaching the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, and coming very close to qualifying for the Champions League. I think the overall experience there was very positive; I felt happy.”
Asensio returned to PSG after his loan spell with the Premier League side. He had no future in Paris under Enrique.
Throughout last summer window, there were several claims in Spain, France and England about Aston Villa wanting to buy him. However, a move never materialised, and the player joined Fenerbahçe on deadline day. Monchi was then in charge at the English club.
Two months ago, Monchi revealed Aston Villa were confident of Asensio returning to Villa Park. He admitted they weren’t able to close the operation due to financial reasons.
Aston Villa have qualified for the Europa League this season and could have offered what he was looking for. The player has suggested he would have been up for it.
“At PSG, I also had happy moments, playing at a high level, but what I was looking for here was consistency, because that’s what takes you to your best. I think I achieved that at Aston Villa last season, where I was also very happy,” Asensio explained.
“With this challenge at Fenerbahçe, I was looking to play every three days, to maintain a high level. This is what makes me happy, playing football, training every day, playing matches. Where I enjoy myself most is on the field.”
