Unai Emery has given credit to Arsenal for being a part of his journey to becoming a better manager after he won the Europa League with Villarreal.
The Spaniard was Arsenal’s first manager after Arsene Wenger’s more than 20-year reign.
He joined the Gunners after winning the league in France with PSG to add to his already glittering CV which included winning three consecutive Europa League trophies with Sevilla.
He helped the Gunners to reach the final of the competition in his first full season, but he was fired halfway through the 2019/2020 season and replaced with Mikel Arteta.
It is never a good time to fire a manager if you ask the victim and Emery must have felt he needed more time to turn things around.
Villarreal has now trusted him with their managerial job and he repaid the faith shown in him by leading them to the Europa League title.
He says he has learnt a lot in his journey as a manager, including being the coach of Arsenal for over a year.
Emery said after the victory over Man United via Mirror Football: “I believe it’s not a sporting revenge at all.
“I try to enjoy every moment, winning and losing. I try to create new circumstances, so everywhere I have been, even in England at Arsenal, I have learnt a lot, met many people, other cultures and football.
“At the end of that story was professional frustration, but some other doors opened then.
“Winning today is a satisfaction, but for my club today, as it was when I was at Sevilla.”