Unai Emery is a man who splits opinion.
On the one hand, he’s the guy who won three consecutive Europa League titles at Sevilla and a domestic quadruple with Paris Saint-Germain.
AFP
But for Arsenal fans, he was largely unsuccessful, and Lionel Messi isn’t entirely fond of him either.
Emery, now at Villarreal, has a big week coming up as the Yellow Submarine prepare for a La Liga clash with Barcelona and then a reuinion with Arsenal in his beloved Europa League.
Gunners fans will be surprised to hear that Emery is doing a great job in Spain, with Villarreal currently sixth.
But Barcelona and Messi continue to haunt him. A 4-0 defeat at the Nou Camp back in September, with the Argentine superstar on the score sheet, continued an awful record for Emery against the Catalans.
AFP
We’ll never forget his PSG side’s dramatic collapse at the hands of Barca in 2017 – but less well remembered is Sevilla’s incredible 5-4 defeat to Messi and co. in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup.
Sevilla came back from 4-1 down to force extra-time, before Pedro eventually won it for Barca, and the drama meant that an interesting exchange between Messi and Emery went largely unnoticed.
With Barca 2-1 up and in the ascendancy thanks to two Messi free-kicks, the Argentine complained to the fourth official when two balls appeared on the pitch, causing an interruption.
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With Emery squatting nearby, Mundo Deportivo reported at the time that the Sevilla boss said something which infuriated Messi.
The usually-well-mannered superstar confronted Emery with words and gestures amid suggestions it was actually him who threw the second ball on the pitch.
Maybe that’s why Messi has continued to score against Emery teams at better than a goal per game ever since.
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