As Bayern Munich assessed the candidates to be their new coach earlier this year, the decision-makers’ minds drifted to spring 2022 and their shock elimination from the Champions League.
Unai Emery was the mastermind behind one of the most surprising league results in recent times as he guided Villarreal past Bayern to the semi-finals.
From then on, Bayern’s managers kept a close eye on Emery and when they decided towards the end of last season that Thomas Tuchel was no longer their man, they gave more than passing thought to signing Emery. His Aston Villa side will take on Bayern in the Champions League at Villa Park on Wednesday, a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final, when Villa beat Bayern 1-0.
Ultimately, the move never really left the runway. Emery has a level of control at Villa rivaled only by Pep Guardiola in the Premier League, and he is the driving force behind every football decision at Villa Park. That can never be the case for a coach at Bayern, perhaps the most political club in Europe.
In 2015, Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris took a six percent stake in sportswear giant Adidas, which also has an 8.33 percent stake in Bayern.
Bayern Munich executives took Unai Emery into account last summer when looking for a coach
The German side have been keeping an eye on Emery since their exit from the Champions League in 2022
Emery’s Aston Villa side will aim to replicate Villarreal’s victory against Bayern on Wednesday
If the German giants had gone to Emery there would certainly have been a few boats on the ground. Emery signed a new five-year contract at Villa Park, while Bayern ultimately opted for Vincent Kompany.
Yet Bayern know what Emery can deliver and as they prepare for their Champions League clash at Villa Park, it will not be the defeat to Villa in Rotterdam 42 years ago that will worry them.
As six-time winners of this title, Bayern are used to going their own way in continental competition, but the man in the home dugout is sure to send a few shivers down their spine.
The 2022 quarterfinals seemed like a mismatch in every sense. Bayern’s squad was valued at around £658m, Villarreal’s at £340m. The Spanish club had won the Europa League the previous season but were seventh in La Liga when they took on Bayern and had a turnover of £100 million, compared to Bayern’s £555 million. Bayern was on its way to the tenth title in a row in the Bundesliga.
The capacity of the Allianz Arena is 75,000, while that of the Estadio de la Ceramica is only 23,000. Villarreal couldn’t have come close, especially after Bayern brushed aside Red Bull Salzburg 8-2 in the previous round.
Emery was the mastermind behind Villarreal’s shock victory over Bayern in the 2022 quarter-finals
Samuel Chukwueze’s goal against Bayern was mastered during training
Villarreal certainly came close, okay. They were tactically perfect to win the home leg 1-0 and Samuel Chukwueze’s late equalizer in Munich in the second rewarded more strategic brilliance and got them through. Mail Sport can reveal that the counter-attack that led to Chukwueze’s goal was practiced repeatedly at Villarreal’s training ground as if it were a set piece.
Daniel Parejo found Giovani Lo Celso, who carried the ball forward before releasing Gerard Moreno. Moreno’s cross to the far post was perfect and Chukwueze did the rest. In one move, it was the culmination of Emery’s ruthless attention to detail, meticulous positional work and long afternoons working on the video.
Villarreal eventually lost narrowly to Liverpool in the semi-finals, but Bayern have kept a close eye on Emery since then and while they will be favorites against Villa, they would be foolish to underestimate their opponents.
Emery has been in the dugout for 187 European club matches, including Kompany. Emery has won four times as many European trophies as Kompany has taken charge of matches at continental level.
In the one-off matches against favorite opponents, Emery comes to life as he spends hours in front of the laptop, looking for the smallest weakness to exploit. Does Kompany already have that in his locker?
Vincent Kompany has made an encouraging start as Bayern Munich manager
Kompany is short on Emery’s European experience, with the Villa boss an expert in one-off games
He took Burnley to the Championship title in 2023 by replicating Guardiola-style football and was promptly relegated after refusing to change his principles until it was too late. It’s hard to imagine Emery being as stubborn.
However, Kompany has made an encouraging start at Bayern. A seriously smart individual, the Belgian has had a strong foothold behind the scenes and his team is coming together on the pitch too. However, Leverkusen broke Bayern’s run of 11 consecutive titles last season and the pressure on Kompany could not be greater to ensure normal service resumes.
That is why, when they visit Villa Park, the Bayern directors can be forgiven for wondering what could have happened.
