In weeks like this, Unai Emery immerses himself so much in match preparation that it’s almost impossible to turn his mind to anything else. He will always have another video to watch. As much as Emery brings these games down to their purest football elements – and almost because he’s such a gentleman – it’s still impossible not to wonder whether he will be motivated by one barb that is still said at Paris Saint-Germain.
That is that he is no more than “a Europa League manager” and “a level below a top coach”. They are stances from senior club figures that have informed wider commentary on Emery’s career, including on these pages.
