Unai Emery will be overjoyed that Aston Villa has reached an agreement with a club close to his heart.
Aston Villa have announced a new collaborative partnership with Real Unión of Spain, which pleases Unai Emery due to his financial and emotional ties with the club. Villa’s manager purchased a controlling stake in Unión in June 2021, assisting the Basque club after a difficult few years.
Juan, Emery’s father, played 15 games for Unión between 1957 and 1959, while Antonio, Emery’s grandfather, played 110 games for the club as a goalkeeper. It’s become a family tradition, and the owners of Villa, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, have decided to support Emery by forming a new partnership.
Unión has a long history as one of the founding members of La Liga, Spain’s top division. Unión also won the Copa del Rey three times, in 1918, 1924, and 1927. They have yet to win a major trophy since then, but Villa and Emery are hoping to change that.
The agreement is similar to that of V Sports’ existing affiliates in Japan, Egypt, and Portugal, Vissel Kobe, ZED FC, and Vitória Sport Clube. The goal is to collaborate on technical and coaching methodology development while also sharing performance and data.
