1971 November 3rd
Birth in Hondarribia
Unai Emery Etxegoien is born in Hondarribia in the Basque Country; his family's football background precedes his own playing and coaching careers.
Football history · Individual timeline
Unai Emery
38 historical football records.
1990
Real Sociedad Reserve Football
Emery begins appearing for Real Sociedad B, gaining senior competitive experience in the club's reserve side before a career in the Spanish lower divisions.
1995
Real Sociedad First Division Appearances
Emery makes a handful of Spanish top-flight appearances with Real Sociedad, a brief spell at the highest level of his playing career.
1996
Toledo Midfield Spell Begins
Emery joins Toledo and becomes part of the squad competing in Spain's second division, developing an understanding of the demands of professional league football.
2000
Racing Ferrol Move
Emery moves to Racing Ferrol after his spell with Toledo and continues playing as a midfielder in the Spanish professional divisions.
2002
Leganés Playing Season
Emery represents Leganés in Spain's second division, adding another club to the playing career that precedes his work from the touchline.
2004
Lorca Managerial Transition
A knee injury brings Emery's playing days at Lorca Deportiva to an end, and he takes charge as the club's coach in December.
2005
Lorca Wins Promotion to Segunda División
Emery guides Lorca Deportiva out of Spain's third tier in his first campaign as manager, quickly establishing a reputation for detailed preparation.
2006
Almería Takes on Rising Coach
Almería appoints Emery after Lorca's promotion challenge, entrusting him with a team seeking to move into the Spanish top flight.
2007
Almería Secures First La Liga Promotion
Emery's Almería earn promotion to La Liga for the first time in club history after a successful campaign in the Segunda División.
2008
Valencia Appointment
Becomes Valencia manager after successful work with Almeria.
2008
Valencia Head Coach
Leads the club through repeated qualification for European competition.
2009
Valencia Reaches Europa League Places
Emery guides Valencia through his first season in charge and secures European qualification despite significant financial constraints at the club.
2010
Valencia Takes Third Place
Valencia finish third in La Liga under Emery and return to the Champions League, combining disciplined organisation with an attacking midfield.
2011
Valencia Repeats Third Place
Emery steers Valencia to another third-place league finish while managing the departures of several leading players from the squad.
2012
Spartak Moscow Appointment
Emery takes over Spartak Moscow for his first coaching assignment outside Spain, entering the Russian Premier League during a challenging transition.
2013
Sevilla Coaching Rebuild
Emery begins reshaping Sevilla after joining in January, giving young attackers clear roles while reorganising the side for the following campaign.
2014 May 14th
Europa League Victory
Guides Sevilla past Benfica in the Europa League final.
2014 May 14th
Eurpopa League Winner
Directed Sevilla through a goalless final and a successful penalty shootout.
2014 May 14th
Sevilla European Trophy
Wins his first UEFA club trophy as a manager.
2015 May 27th
Eurpopa League Winner
Led Sevilla to consecutive Europa League titles through a hard-fought final.
2015 May 27th
Second Europa League Victory
Leads Sevilla to victory over Dnipro in Warsaw.
2015 May 27th
Sevilla Retains European Title
Becomes a consecutive Europa League winner with the Spanish club.
2016 May 18th
Eurpopa League Winner
Guided Sevilla to a third consecutive Europa League title with a second-half tactical turnaround.
2016 May 18th
Sevilla European Hat-Trick
Establishes an unprecedented sequence of three straight tournament victories.
2016 May 18th
Third Europa League Victory
Guides Sevilla to a third consecutive Europa League title.
2017 May 27th
PSG Retains French Cup
Emery guides Paris Saint-Germain to a 1–0 Coupe de France final victory over Angers, keeping the trophy in the capital.
2018
Arsenal Reaches First Tenure Season
Emery succeeds Arsène Wenger at Arsenal and begins introducing a more structured approach to playing out from defence.
2019 May 29th
Arsenal Finishes European Runner-Up
Emery's Arsenal reach the Europa League final but lose 4–1 to Chelsea in Baku, ending his first season without a major trophy.
2020 July 23rd
Villarreal Recruits European Specialist
Villarreal appoint Emery as head coach, seeking consistent European progress after his departure from Arsenal.
2021 May 26th
Eurpopa League Winner
Coached Villarreal to its first major European title after an extraordinary shootout.
2021 May 26th
First Villarreal Major Trophy
Wins the first major trophy in Villarreal's history.
2021 May 26th
Villarreal Europa League Victory
Leads Villarreal past Manchester United in a penalty shootout.
2022 October 24th
Managerial Appointment
Aston Villa appoints Emery as head coach after his departure from Villarreal.
2023 May 28th
European Qualification
Villa finishes seventh and qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
2024
Aston Villa Champions League Return
Secures the club's return to Europe's leading competition.
2024
Premier League Fourth Place
Guides Aston Villa to fourth place in the Premier League.
2025 March 12th
Champions League Quarter-Final
Guides Aston Villa past Club Brugge to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.