Unai Emery
Unai Emery pulls out of Newcastle talks last minute over ‘leaked conversation’ with club owners
Villarreal FC manager, Unai Emery has decided against accepting the vacant Newcastle job in protest over leaked conversation he held with the English Premier League club about accepting the position initially.
Emery has now issued a statement, Wednesday, confirming he will remain at Villarreal, leaving Newcastle to continue search for a new manager after the sacking of manager Steve Bruce.
Emery had indicated he was prepared to leave Villarreal for St James’ Park but the former Sevilla, Paris Saint‑Germain and Arsenal head coach began having second thoughts after news of the proposed switch leaked on Tuesday.
However, by Wednesday afternoon, Emery had released a statement committing his future to Villarreal and Newcastle were reopening talks with Eddie Howe. Other potential managers lined up for the job include; Paulo Fonseca, Lucien Favre and Roberto Martínez.
Howe is believed to have presented Newcastle with a blueprint for extracting the team, second-bottom of the Premier League and without a win, from relegation danger but any appointment is unlikely before the match at Brighton on Saturday.
As late as Tuesday evening it seemed Newcastle had secured Emery but after Villarreal’s home Champions League win against Young Boys, the Spaniard held talks with his board and decided to stay put.
Emery had been upset and disconcerted to find himself facing awkward questions about Newcastle before and after such an important European game and was also understood to be concerned at being in the dark as to the identities of the director of football and chief executive yet to be appointed at St James’ Park.
Although Newcastle attempted to resurrect the deal it was soon apparent they would not, after all, be paying Villarreal about £6m in compensation. Tentative plans for Emery to preside over training before the Brighton trip were abandoned.
“Villarreal CF is my home and I am 100% committed,” Emery said on social media. “Honestly, I am grateful for the interest of a great club but even more grateful to be here and that is why I communicated to [the club president] Fernando Roig my decision to want to continue being part of this project because of the commitment and respect that I perceive from the club and from my players, which is mutual and reciprocal.”
