Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has admitted he keeps a close eye on developments at Valencia. In fact, his biggest dream is to see them competing once again.
The Aston Villa boss was back in Valencia this week, albeit to watch their basketball team take on Bayern Munich at their new sports city.
It was an interesting side show for the Aston Villa manager, who, of course, is more closely associated with the football club.
Emery managed Valencia from July 2008 to June 2012, establishing the club as the best of the rest in La Liga despite severe financial difficulties and the sale of some of his best players.
He finished third in La Liga in three consecutive seasons, trailing only Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side and Real Madrid in that period.
Sporting decline at Valencia
The club have experienced a steep sporting decline in the years since his departure.
While they did win the Copa del Rey in 2019, they have not finished in the top three since he left and have spent most of the 2020’s stuck in mid-table or fighting relegation.
They’ve also gone through more than 15 managers in that period. And they haven’t qualified for any European competition since the 2019/20 season.
At the time of writing, they sit 19th in La Liga and two points from safety.
Emery watches on
Their plight is something that Emery is more than aware of.
He’s now focused on establishing Aston Villa among the elite of the Premier League. But he admits that his big dream is to see Valencia successful again.
“I keep up with them. I go to Mestalla whenever I can. And I stay informed through friends I have within the club,” he told À Punt radio program 90 Minuts.
“The new stadium will represent a major step forward. I hope for a more promising future and that Valencia can return to what it once was.
“It’s what I wish for most and what I desire the most.”
Sport Witness Analysis: Unai Emery’s amazing career
UNAI EMERY
Career achievements · Trophies, individual awards & managerial milestones |
|
12 senior trophies |
5 Europa League titles |
4 trophy-winning clubs
TROPHIES WON
| Club |
Competition |
Seasons / years |
Titles |
| Sevilla |
UEFA Europa League |
2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 |
3 |
| Paris Saint-Germain |
Ligue 1 |
2017/18 |
1 |
| Paris Saint-Germain |
Coupe de France |
2016/17, 2017/18 |
2 |
| Paris Saint-Germain |
Coupe de la Ligue |
2016/17, 2017/18 |
2 |
| Paris Saint-Germain |
Trophée des Champions |
2016, 2017 |
2 |
| Villarreal |
UEFA Europa League |
2020/21 |
1 |
| Aston Villa |
UEFA Europa League |
2025/26 |
1 |
| TOTAL SENIOR TROPHIES |
12 |
OTHER NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
| Lorca Deportiva |
Promotion to Spain’s Segunda División in 2004/05. |
| Almería |
Led the club to its first La Liga promotion in 2006/07, then finished eighth in 2007/08. |
| Valencia |
Three consecutive third-place La Liga finishes: 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12. |
| Sevilla |
Won three consecutive Europa League titles, defeating Benfica, Dnipro and Liverpool in the finals. |
| Paris Saint-Germain |
Seven trophies in two seasons, including all four domestic competitions in 2017/18. |
| Arsenal |
Europa League runner-up in 2018/19. |
| Villarreal |
Won the club’s first major trophy in 2021 and reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2021/22. |
| Aston Villa |
Fourth in the Premier League in 2023/24 and 2025/26; Conference League semi-finalists in 2023/24 and Champions League quarter-finalists in 2024/25. |
| Europa League record |
Five titles with three clubs — Sevilla, Villarreal and Aston Villa — the most by any manager. |
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
| Miguel Muñoz Trophy · Segunda División |
2005/06, 2006/07 |
| La Liga Manager of the Month |
March 2014, January 2015, January 2016 |
| UNFP Ligue 1 Manager of the Year |
2017/18 |
| Globe Soccer Coach Career Award |
2022 |
| Premier League Manager of the Month |
April 2023, December 2023, December 2025 |
Scope: Managerial career achievements. The trophy total includes PSG’s two Trophée des Champions victories. Promotions, runner-up finishes and individual awards are listed separately and excluded from that total.
Updated: 13 November 2026.
SPORT WITNESS
