Two weeks before Pelé played his final international match for Brazil, Juan and Amelia Etxegoien welcomed their son, Unai Emery, who would eventually carry on his family’s rich football tradition. The future Aston Villa coach was born into a footballing family: his father, Juan, and grandfather, Antonio, were both goalkeepers, while his uncle, Roman, played as a midfielder.
We’ll explore the journey of this football boss, who began his career later than most and drew inspiration from watching Diego Maradona lead Argentina to World Cup glory. Just as Unai was making strides in his playing career, a severe knee injury brought it to a sudden and painful end. Now, let’s dive into the story of the football manager famously nicknamed “Traffic Warden.”
Inspired by Family Tradition & Diego Maradona: Unai Emery’s Hidden Chapter
In a nutshell, this article uncovers the lesser-known aspects of Unai Emery’s life, offering a complete account of his journey from childhood to fame. We dive into his life before he became well-known, his family background, relationship details, and other intriguing off-pitch facts.
While many are familiar with his impressive managerial stints at Sevilla and his achievements with Aston Villa, including qualifying for the Champions League, not everyone has explored his full biography. So, let’s get started and discover the fascinating story behind the football manager.
Unai Emery Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, his full name is Unai Emery Etxegoien. Unai Emery was born on the 3rd day of November 1971 in Hondarribia, Spain.
Unai Emery was born to his parents; his father’s name is Juan Emery, and his mother’s name is Amelia Etxegoien.
Emery was born into a strong football family background. His father and grandfather, named Juan and Antonio, respectively, were also footballers, both goalkeepers. Even his uncle, Roman, played as a midfielder.
Having known that he had a family background of football mentors, his ambitions of becoming a footballer himself never became a passing fancy.
Despite his footballing quest, He believed finishing high school should come first. While in high school, Unai Emery had several opportunities to play competitive soccer passionately, especially during sports periods.
Unai Emery Biography – Career in Summary:
Unai Emery began his youth football career relatively late, at the age of 16, in the notable football year of 1986.
Beyond his footballing family background, his drive to succeed despite starting his career late was fueled by watching Diego Maradona lead Argentina to World Cup victory almost single-handedly.
Emery began his youth football career at 16 in 1986. It was witnessing Maradona’s World Cup triumph that fueled his drive to succeed despite a late star.
Unai Emery’s early career was marked by a rapid ascent through the youth ranks, culminating in just four years of impressive play. By 1990, he had joined Real Sociedad B and quickly moved up to the senior team. However, feeling unsettled at the club, Emery decided it was time for a change.
He continued his career in Spain’s second division with Racing Ferrol, Leganés, and Lorca Deportiva CF. Unfortunately, at age 32, a severe knee injury abruptly ended his playing career. Injuries during the early and mid-stages of his playing career also led to Julian Nagelsmann‘s early retirement.
Forced into retirement, Emery transitioned to coaching, taking on the managerial role at his last club, Lorca Deportiva. This marked the beginning of his successful career as a manager. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Love Life with Louisa Fernandez:
Unai Emery’s wife is Louisa Fernandez, who hails from Malaga. According to Spanish sources, Louisa and Unai first crossed paths in Madrid, where she was working at a restaurant.
At the time, Unai was having a quiet dinner with friends who were also acquainted with Louisa. These friends played matchmaker, introducing Unai to Louisa, whom he had admired from afar. Their connection blossomed into a lasting love that endures to this day.
Meet Louisa Fernandez. She is Unai Emery’s Wife.
The marriage of the lovebirds finally came in 1998. Unai and his lovely wife are both proud parents of a son named Lander Emery Fernandez (pictured below with his mum and dad), who was born on the 29th day of March 2003 in Madrid.
Football is indeed a golden tree for the Unai Emery Family. As we write, there exists a fourth generation of footballing success in his household.
His son, Lander Emery Fernandez, chooses to become a goalkeeper just like his grand and great-granddad. He plays for Valencia at the time of writing.
Personality:
Do you know that the football coach plays tennis?
In his free time, Unai Emery enjoys playing both squash and tennis. While squash is a favourite of Jarrad Branthwaite’s dad, tennis is the sport Matthijs de Ligt grew up with. During his time managing Sevilla, Emery was known for organizing squash or tennis sessions for his players. These activities helped them unwind and relax during football breaks.
Unai Emery Facts – Nickname and Dressing Sense:
While managing in Spain, Unai Emery’s frequent and animated gestures on the sidelines earned him the nickname ‘Guardia Urbano,’ which translates to ‘Traffic Warden.’
As seen from the picture below, Unai is also a snappy and stylish dresser. He is accustomed to sporting bright red elbow patches on his suit jackets.
His red-styled suit was worn mostly during his Sevilla match days. However, it seems Unai Emery has ditched those styles of clothing lately, probably due to constant media attention, which finds a way of mixing with his professional focus.
Video Style of Coaching:
Emery is truly a workaholic who could spend lots of hours studying videos of opponents before he goes into the field against them.
Former Spain winger Joaquín once described Unai Emery with high praise:
“Unai is so obsessed with football, it’s almost an illness. He’s one of the best managers I’ve worked with. During our three years together, he once showed me so many videos that I ran out of popcorn while visiting!”
Unai Emery’s dedication to analyzing opponents extends beyond his own viewing. He insists that his players also study video footage of their rivals. While managing Valencia, Emery even-handed an empty USB drive to a player he suspected of neglecting his video duties to ensure he would properly review the footage on his laptop.
“As for every game, I might spend up to 12 hours just analyzing opponent videos,” Unai Emery explained.
Unai Emery’s love for Website:
Some media outlets have called him Unai Emery, and he is a social media animal.
The Spaniard has an official website [www.unai-emery.com] where he regularly updates with blog posts and tactical notes, which denote general musings on his football life.
Again, Unai Emery loves to make his website interactive. He has several blog posts in which he is fond of inviting fans to guess his starting XI with amazing prizes for guessing correctly.
Final Notes:
Thank you for reading about Unai Emery’s story. Despite his achievements, Emery often downplays the idea that his Villa side is among the top four teams alongside Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, and Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United. We are committed to accuracy and fairness in bringing you the most compelling managerial soccer stories.
Please stay tuned for more captivating stories, particularly about footballers whose careers have been positively influenced by Unai Emery. You’ll find the life histories of Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa particularly thrilling as they highlight the impact of Unai’s mentorship on their journeys. If you see something that doesn’t look right in this article, please leave a comment or contact us!
