Former Paris Saint-Germain (2016-2018) and Arsenal (2018-2019) manager Unai Emery, 54, now at Aston Villa, offered high praise for Luis Enrique, 56, and his team in an interview with L’Equipe ahead of the Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal. But beyond the compliments, the Spaniard also emphasized Arsenal’s strength and predicted a perfectly balanced final.
Emery: “Luis Enrique is doing an excellent job”
“What surprises you the most? That PSG are in the Champions League final for the second year in a row, or that it took Arsenal twenty years to get back to this level?
I really appreciate the way both teams are playing right now, the way they’re performing. Luis Enrique is doing an excellent job. His ability to create a positive atmosphere is fantastic; he has a lot of personality, and he has completely transformed PSG. It’s always incredible to watch them play. That was already the case last year when we faced them in the Champions League quarter-finals (1-3; 3-2).
Today, they are the best club in the world, the best team, the one that produces the best collective performance with the best coach, even though there are, of course, many other good managers. As for Arsenal and Arteta, they are so competitive; they are also performing fantastically. Both teams deserve to be playing in this final.” Final.
Emery: “Arsenal, they’re playing brilliantly.”
Can we present this final as a clash of styles? Arsenal were playing more attractive football at the start of the season…
No, no, no. What does it mean to play “good football”? Playing good football means competing to win. And when you win, you’re playing well. Then it’s a question of playing brilliantly or not. And, at Arsenal, they’re playing brilliantly. Perhaps, given the length of the season and how it’s unfolding, some players have been fatigued at times. For example, Martin Zubimendi. He had a fantastic first half of the season, and now he’s not a consistent starter. That’s one example. But Arsenal are playing fantastically.
Shouldn’t we just reduce them to a team that defends well and scores from set pieces?
(Laughs) What do you want me to say? Like I said, they play fantastically, they’re very competitive… and they’re very good at set pieces.
Emery: “It’s 50/50”
Do you see a clear favorite?
It’s 50/50.
What’s your take on how PSG has evolved since you left?
I’m so happy for Nasser al-Khelaïfi because he’s always been very… very respectful towards me. He’s allowed the club to grow by being patient. I’m also very happy for Marquinhos. A very good professional as a player, but also a fantastic guy. He’s the only player who’s still here since I left. And of course, I’m happy for Luis Enrique because he deserves it too.
Emery: “He always succeeds. Why? Because he’s a great competitor, and because he loves football.”
Was the key to success putting an end to the “star” policy?
I don’t know. Today, we have Ousmane Dembélé, Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha… fantastic players.
Would you have liked to manage this team?
I’m happy for them.
More generally, how do you explain the success of Spanish coaches on the European stage?
Each one is different. Luis Enrique has a wealth of experience, and he has always been successful. This was the case when he coached Barcelona’s reserve team; he had fantastic results at Celta Vigo, Roma, and then again at FC Barcelona where he won the Champions League (in 2015). He has also had success with the national team, and now at PSG. He always succeeds. Why? Because he’s a fierce competitor, and because he loves football. His life revolves primarily around football, and he’s completely focused on it. That’s the reason.
Unai Emery’s sincerity is hardly in doubt. The former Paris Saint-Germain coach knows the club well, understands the demands of European competition, and his perspective on the transformation orchestrated by Luis Enrique therefore carries particular weight. By calling Paris the best team at the moment, he validates both the collective progress and the identity built over the past two seasons.
But his words don’t sound like a guaranteed path to Parisian triumph. Emery specifically refuses to reduce Arsenal to a defensive team or one only dangerous from set pieces. For him, Mikel Arteta’s 44-year-old side plays very well, competes at a very high level, and fully deserves its place in the final. The message is clear: Paris arrives with confidence, but not with a divine right to victory.
This 50/50 prediction put forward by Emery almost sounds like an elegant warning. PSG can impress, charm, and dominate team play, but a Champions League final doesn’t always reward the team that looks the most brilliant on paper. Arsenal has enough weapons, structure, and confidence to turn this match into a real battle of wills.
