Aston Villa boss makes Sunderland comment when praising Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery namechecked Sunderland when praising teams he enjoys watching.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has praised Sunderland’s brand of football while drawing comparisons between the Black Cats and Premier League club Brighton.

Emery’s Villa will face The Seagulls on the final day of the Premier League season as they look to secure European football by finishing seventh.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ahead of the match, Emery was asked about Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and praised the side’s style of play, while namechecking other teams he admires.

“There are a lot of coaches in the Premier League doing something different,” said Emery. “There are a lot of other teams doing a lot of good work - in Spain there is a team FC Andorra who plays in a similar way to De Zerbi here, and it’s not only teams in the Premier League.

“There are a lot of teams playing really good football, for example Sunderland here in the Championship - he (Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray) is playing really good football. Barnsley as well. I like to understand a lot of different coaches and managers.”

Emery also said he is constantly looking for new ways to improve his own side when watching other teams play from around the globe, studying different tactics and styles.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Football is changing so quickly,” added Emery, who has previously managed Arsenal, Villereal, PSG and Sevilla.

“I am now 51 years old, I started as a trainer at 32 - 19 years in a row as a coach, as a manager. I am always very focused on how I can improve each day, to be better today than yesterday, and to be better tomorrow than today.

“It’s not only about my work, my experiences, my analysis of our team, but also of those around me and watching other coaches and other teams. One of them is De Zerbi. I like coaches who can show us something different, tactically, offensively, defensively, because in football you have to be on the fast train.

“Football changes so quickly and you have to be very clear that everything is changing. I try to adapt quickly, to progress quickly, and to understand quickly these changes.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.