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Unai EmerySpanish football player and coach of FC Spartak
Date of Birth: 03.11.1971
Country:  Spain |
Content:
Biography of Unai Emery
Unai Emery Etxegoien was born on November 3, 1971, in Fuenterrobias, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa in northern Spain. He is of Basque nationality. His grandfather, Antonio Emery, was a goalkeeper for the football team Real Union in Iruna from 1918 to 1927, winning three Copa del Rey titles. Unai's father, Juan Emery, was also a goalkeeper for Real Union and played for several other teams in the first and second divisions of the Spanish league.
Football Career
Emery began playing football from a young age. He played for the youth team of his hometown and then, from 1990 to 1995, he played as a left midfielder for the youth team of Real Sociedad in the Spanish second division. In the 1995-96 season, Emery made his debut for the first team of Real Sociedad in the first division, scoring his only goal against Albacete. However, he played only five games before moving on to play for several second division teams, including Toledo, Racing de Ferrol, Leganes, and Lorca Deportiva.
In 2004, Emery suffered a knee injury that ended his playing career. In December of the same year, he made his debut as a coach for Lorca Deportiva. In his first season, the team managed to promote from the second division group B to group A. In the following year, they narrowly missed the playoffs for promotion to the first division, finishing fifth. Emery then became the coach of Almeria in 2006, leading the team to promotion to the first division in his first season. The following year, Almeria finished eighth in the league, narrowly missing out on qualification for European competitions.
For his achievements, Emery won the Trofeo Miguel Munoz, awarded by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca, as the best coach in the second division in 2006 and 2007.
Coaching Career at Valencia
In May 2008, Emery signed a contract with Valencia, where he became the head coach. During his time with the team, Valencia finished third in the league for three consecutive seasons, behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. Under Emery's guidance, Valencia also consistently performed well in European competitions, reaching the quarterfinals of the Europa League in 2010 and the round of 16 in the Champions League in 2011. However, financial difficulties led to the departure of key players such as David Villa and David Silva. Despite these challenges, Emery maintained Valencia's competitive position in the league.
In April 2012, Emery announced that he would leave Valencia at the end of the season. His tenure was marked by high results but the absence of trophies, which led to dissatisfaction among the club's management and fans. He was succeeded by Mauricio Pellegrino.
Coaching Career at Spartak Moscow
In May 2012, Emery was appointed as the head coach of Spartak Moscow, replacing his former teammate Valery Karpin. Emery's annual salary at Spartak Moscow was reported to be around two and a half million euros. He signed a two-year contract with the club.
Emery is known for his preference for a smart and attacking style of play. He has been praised for his tactical knowledge and his ability to create attractive and entertaining football. Emery is dedicated to his work and spends most of his time coaching. However, he also enjoys spending time with his wife Luisa and their son Lander. He is a skilled cook and enjoys playing paddle tennis with friends.
Overall, Unai Emery has established himself as a successful coach in Spain and abroad, known for his tactical expertise and ability to achieve high results with his teams.
