Yahoo News Unai Emery's tell-tale comment proves he is in it for the long haul at Aston Villa
Unai Emery agreed to Aston Villa activating the option of an extra year in his contract with the club this past week - and the manager has plans to guide the club into the future along the ambitious path he has paved. Emery has transformed Villa's fortunes since he joined in October 2022, guiding them from a side battling against relegation to a team which is on the cusp of clinching Premier League football for the 2024-25 season.
The Spaniard, a European competition specialist having won the Europa League four times elsewhere - including three years on the spin with Sevilla - also has the Lions well placed in the Europa Conference League, as they aim to follow fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United in lifting that trophy at the end of the season.
Any concerns that Emery may one day be tempted away from Villa Park by a continental giant have been put to rest; for the man himself is aiming for consistent progression, year on year, with Villa, and hopes to see his side progressively close the gap to those at the top of the Premier League, as opposed to fluctuating from one campaign to the next.
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That aim, as well as the structure that NSWE have permitted Emery to create around him, means that Villa's biggest asset has everything he needs to achieve what he is aiming to while situated in B6.
"More than just winning one year and not be consistent the next year, I prefer that we get better progressively, being ambitious but trying to do each step being solid, and with a strong structure," he told beIN Sports Asia. "For next year, let's try to be consistent as we are now, even more than this year. We can be closer to the contenders for the Premier League. This is objective I have here.
"To get comfortable in being consistent and maybe contenders to get a trophy in those competitions. Then we have the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup - two ways to get something that'd make us happy.
"I signed here three and a half years when I arrived. I have been here one year and a half. In my contract there was an activation for the club for one year more - of course, I agree. This week the club activated, and I have three years more here and I want to continue the development - in myself as a coach as well.
"The club gave me a lot of confidence to create a structure, with the people around me, the coaches and workers. We've been demanding of the players, but the players have had to demand it themselves, to deserve to continue being a part of our project. Their commitment to play with desire and to get something more in the cupboard is everything I want."
