Eddie Howe has done an outstanding job since taking over at Newcastle United in November, helping a side languishing in the Premier League ’s bottom three to climb up to 15th and create a nine-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone.
But it could have been very different had the club’s first choice, Unai Emery, taken up the offer from the Magpies to manage their side, as they targeted a serial winner and elite manager to keep them in the top flight.
Yet the former Arsenal manager rejected Newcastle’s advances in order to remain in La Liga with Villarreal, and the Spaniard has finally broken his silence on his decision to turn down the Magpies.
Emery was whittled down to the final two candidates on Newcaste’s shortlist alongside Howe, although the pair are two completely different managers who have achieved contrasting successes within their careers.
The 50-year-old certainly isn’t your usual candidate to take over a side in the midst of a relegation battle, having enjoyed a successful career which has brought 11 trophies at the likes of Paris-Saint Germain and Sevilla, including four UEFA Europa League titles.
However, the Spaniard, who has Premier League experience with Arsenal, turned down a return to the top flight in order to stay with Villarreal, who are seventh in La Liga and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, despite the “attractive” offer from the Magpies.
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“The Newcastle project is an attractive project, something to build, different to Arsenal,” he told The Athletic. “With Arsenal, you first had to knock down the walls, which is hard work, then start to build again. Newcastle, no; it was just about building from the ground up. So it is different, and I liked the idea.
“The Premier League is an attractive league for all us coaches. So when Newcastle called me, I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to a serious project. For me, it was a source of pride, satisfaction and I appreciated it. The opportunity of a club like Newcastle, what it could turn out to be, it is normal for me to listen to the offer, to consider it.
“I thought about the offer and I spoke with (Villarreal president) Fernando Roig but I also had to take into account that we were in the Champions League with Villarreal, mid-season. In the end, with a lot of respect for Villarreal, and a lot of respect for Newcastle, I decided to stay here. I am happy here and we are doing an important job.”
Emery’s Villarreal prepare to face Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday (Apr 6) in what is his first ever appearance at this stage of the tournament, following a shock 4-1 aggregate win over Juventus in the previous round.
Meanwhile, Howe took Newcastle on a nine-game unbeaten run from late December to early March to catapult the Magpies up to 14th in the league and 10 points clear of the relegation zone, prior to three successive league defeats of late.
Either way, both managers have proven that their decisions have been worthwhile, even if Howe hasn’t quite secured Newcastle’s safety just yet, and the Magpies future looks bright despite the fact they weren’t able to lure Emery to Tyneside.
