Unai Emery’s tactics often leaves rival clubs puzzled – and his pre-match interview had the same effect ahead of Aston Villa’s clash at Bournemouth.
With the Villans chasing a European spot, the Spaniard knew his side had to claim all three points at the Vitality Stadium in Saturday’s 5:30pm kick-off.
The Midlands outfit headed into their encounter in seventh spot, knowing a win would see them leapfrog above Nottingham Forest into sixth.
And that they did, as they emerged as 1-0 victors to move level on points with Chelsea in fifth, who occupy the final Champions League spot.
It appears that was the only thing on Emery’s mind when speaking to Sky Sports reporter David Craig.
The ex-Arsenal boss started off by saying, ‘Good afternoon’ – before then repeating the same word three times.
Emery simply said: “Europe. Europe. Europe.”
It was a totally bizarre response that left Craig stunned into silence for a couple of seconds, before he simply stated: “Yes…”
Further elaborating on the odd start to the interview, Emery then remarked: “Europe is very important.
“We are focusing on our development to happen as soon as possible.
“Of course, to be in Europe is the objective because we’ve had two years in a row playing in Europe.
“This year, we had the Champions League. The Champions League is not in our hands, but if we win today, we can have more chances to be there.
“We are going to fight for everything.”
Thanks to their win over the Cherries, Villa have guaranteed they will be playing in Europe for three consecutive seasons.
Even if they lose their next two fixtures, they will be competing in at least the UEFA Conference League.
In 2023/24, they reached the semi-finals of the Conference League – only to lose to eventual winners Olympiacos.
This year, the Villans were in the Champions League and managed to reach the quarter-finals.
Emery’s men provided some special nights, including beating Bayern Munich at Villa Park, but they were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
After getting a taste of those big European nights, they want them again.
In Emery, they have someone who has enjoyed plenty of success in UEFA’s competitions.
He is a master at winning the Europa League having lifted the title four times – three with Sevilla and then one with Villarreal.
And as it stands, that is the competition Villa will be plying their trade in next term.
