Villarreal coach Unai Emery believes the Europa League closing in opposition to Manchester United is a chance for his aspect to say themselves among the many high groups on the continent, urging them to take the ultimate step of profitable a serious trophy.
“We’ve broken down the barrier of semi-finals in Europe and we feel proud of that but we feel a responsibility to take another step, because we want to keep breaking down barriers,” Emery instructed a information convention forward of Wednesday’s sport.
“We want to enjoy this final, but we want to win it.”
Hailing from a city of fifty,000 folks, Villarreal have been an unknown entity in Spain till getting promoted to La Liga for the primary time in 1998 and have since consolidated their place among the many high groups within the nation.
They are nonetheless but to elevate a serious trophy although and had by no means reached a serious closing at residence or overseas earlier than overcoming Arsenal final month after shedding their the earlier 4 European semi-finals.
“Let’s take a moment of recognition for the stable project (president) Fernando Roig has built at Villarreal, reaching four semi-finals and always getting up again after other setbacks,” stated Emery.
“The club has lived through great moments and is designed to achieve great things. This is a very tough competition with great teams in it and Villarreal have earned their place among them.”
Emery is a Europa League specialist, profitable the competitors an unprecedented three consecutive instances with Sevilla between 2014 and 2016 and ending runners-up with Arsenal in 2019.
He admitted Villarreal have been unfancied within the closing in opposition to the historic would possibly of United, who’re contesting their eighth European closing, however stated his aspect had loads of causes to imagine they might topple the Premier League staff.
“We can’t escape the reality as months ago we said United were among the favourites. They have great players and a lot of history but we can make an argument that we have a real chance of winning the trophy,” he added.
“Being favorite solely issues earlier than the sport. What issues extra is your frame of mind through the sport and the possibilities you create.
“We just need to take the game to where we want it, with our character. We need to be better than them in certain phases of the game and reduce their individual and collective qualities so they don’t shine through.”