Unai Emery has proved his former player Hatem Ben Arfa wrong after the Frenchman claimed that the Spanish manager would never progress past the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Emery is now at the helm of La Liga outfit Villarreal, who shocked the footballing world when they dumped German giants Bayern Munich out of European football's most elite club competition. The 'Yellow Submarine' made the daunting trip to the Allianz Arena with a one-goal lead under the belts hoping for a miracle.
Their wildest dreams were eventually realised, as Robert Lewandowski's strike just before the hour mark was not enough to hand the Bavarians any kind of momentum and Samuel Chukwueze sparked pandemonium in the away end with his 88th minute equaliser. The goal ensured the Spaniard's were going through as 2-1 aggregate leaders.
Amidst the sea of yellow celebrations, once the dust had settled Emery may have taken the time to reflect on the fact he had put to bed a mean-spirited prediction from Ben Arfa from more than half a decade ago.
After Emery's Paris Saint-Germain side were infamously eliminated from the Champions League despite boasting a four-goal advantage over FC Barcelona, Ben Arfa is rumoured to have claimed the Spaniard would never get past the last eight.
The pair's time in the French capital was turbulent at best, with Emery once rumoured to have told the winger: "Stop taking yourself for Messi. You're not Messi," after he was reluctant to pass the ball during a training session.
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Things soured so badly between the pair that Ben Arfa is reported to have been told he was surplus to requirements at the Parc Des Princes just five months after joining from Nice. He was eventually exiled from the first-team fold, but not before making his feelings on the situation public.
In April 2018, Ben Arfa took to social media to upload a picture of him with a cake and a number one candle to mark one year since he had been booted out of the PSG first team. The snap was accompanied by a caption that read: "A year out in the cold is something to celebrate."
A 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou meant Emery would forever be the victim of one of European football's most stunning comebacks, but Tuesday night's win over Bayern means he has now also overseen one of the most surprising underdog victories. Villarreal are likely to face Liverpool in what will be their first Champions League semi-final since 2006.
