Back in November, Unai Emery was being headhunted by Newcastle as Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi looked to replace Steve Bruce.
Eventually, the 50-year-old decided to reject the Magpies and stay with Villarreal, where he is working wonders with the Yellow Submarine.
What’s the story?
Well, according to the BBC, Emery was concerned about how Newcastle approached him, and decided to spurn their advances.
Now, he has guided Villarreal to the Champions League Semi-Final for the first time in 16 years, after a stunning result last night.
The former Arsenal tactician somehow masterminded a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich, thanks to an 88th minute goal from Samuel Chukwueze at the Allianz Arena last night.
It is a remarkable achievement for a side who certainly aren’t familiar with this stage of the Champions League, and Emery deserves huge credit.
Villarreal also had to fend off Juventus in the Round of 16, and unless there’s a huge shock at Anfield tonight, Emery will face Liverpool in the Semi-Final.
Newcastle shouldn’t worry about Unai Emery
Of course, after his heroics in the Champions League, some Newcastle fans may feel a bit upset that they failed lure Emery to Tyneside.
However, there’s no need to worry.
Eddie Howe is doing a fantastic job, and while he’s a fantastic tactician in cup competitions, there are still question marks over Emery in the league.
Despite Villarreal’s European journey, they currently sit seventh in La Liga, and face an uphill battle to even qualify for the Europa League.
Emery certainly deserves plenty of praise, but there’s no guarantee he would’ve achieved similar success at Newcastle.
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