Villarreal coach Unai Emery has spoken out about his rejection of Newcastle United’s bid at the start of the season.
Emery was Newcastle’s no.1 choice following the sacking of Steve Bruce last October. However, the former Arsenal boss rejected the Magpies’ offer as well as confirmed his commitment to Villarreal.
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Newcastle also turned to the talented former Bournemouth manager who had been appointed, Eddie Howe.
“The Newcastle project is an interesting project – something to build right away, in contrast to Arsenal,” Emery told The AthleticTuesday (5/4).
“With Arsenal, you first have to break down the wall, which is hard work, then start building again. Newcastle isn’t, it’s just about building from the ground up.”
“So it was different, and I liked the idea. But I also thank Villarreal for the opportunity they gave me, and we are in the Champions League.”
“The Premier League is a competition that appeals to all coaches. So when Newcastle approached me I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to an ambitious project.”
