The UEFA Europa League has become synonymous with one manager who has defined the competition like no one else and produced moments which might not repeat, not only in this competition but in European football as a whole. Manager Unai Emery stands as its undisputed king, having won the trophy four times with reaching five finals, establishing an unprecedented dominance over Europe’s secondary club competition. Most of the Spaniard’s success came with Sevilla with the historic three-peat, while his triumph with Villarreal was his comeback to his prominence after he failed to win the title in a miserable period with Arsenal, the only time he lost a Europa League final and unconvincing European journeys with PSG. Unai Emery transformed how the Europa League was viewed.
Before his reign, many clubs viewed the competition as an unwanted distraction or nothing more than an extra prize to play for the season. After all, it is the second-tier of European club competitions and cannot match the glamour of the bigger boys, the Champions League. However, Emery treated it with the utmost reverence, helping clubs that otherwise remain obscure define their identity with continental success and provide a direct pathway to their dreams of being among the Champions League elite. His four titles stand as a monument to tactical intelligence, relentless work ethic, and tournament management. The unprecedented success was not a product of luck, but it stemmed from a specific footballing philosophy and an exhaustive approach to knockout football.
Now chasing a fifth title with Aston Villa to add to his legacy, we look back at all the Europa League titles Unai Emery won in his career:
Sevillla 0-0 Benfica; Sevilla win 4-2 on penalties - The Start (2013-14 Europa League Final)
Unai Emery’s love affair with the Europa League began in Andalusia, where he took charge of Sevilla FC in January 2013. Over the next three seasons, he constructed a tournament dynasty with a side that carried legacy and caused problems to the Spanish heavyweights but ultimately fell short of squad value and financial disparity. It makes his achievement even more remarkable. The first of the sensational three-peat came in his first half a season in charge itself at the Juventus Stadium in Turin against Portuguese giants Benfica. Having navigated a gruelling campaign that included a dramatic derby turnaround against Real Betis and a last-gasp semi-final away-goals victory over Valencia, the final came against a side that was resilient and desperate to end their infamous 100-year curse of not winning a European final.
Both teams made incredible attempts to score throughout the match, with Benfica being the more aggressive of the two. However, Sevilla remained firm with their goalkeeper Beto stealing the spotlight with his excellence between the sticks. Nothing could be separated between the two teams as the match ended 0-0 after extra time, pushing the final into a tense penalty shootout. Emery’s meticulous preparation for the tie-breaker paid off with their shot-stopper maintaining his heroism. Beto excellently saved penalties from Benfica's Oscar Cardozo and Rodrygo while Emery’s players converted all four of their spot-kicks, including Kevin Gameiro, scoring the decider, to win the shootout 4-2. This victory instilled a deep-seated belief within the squad and laid the psychological foundation for the historic run that followed.
Sevilla 3-2 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk - Retaining the Crown in Warsaw (2014/15 Europa League Final)
Defending a European title is notoriously difficult, especially for a club like Sevilla, which routinely loses its best players to wealthier clubs each summer. Yet, Emery rebuilt the side and guided them back to the final in 2015, this time at the National Stadium in Warsaw against Ukrainian outfit Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. They already achieved a lot in reaching the showpiece again after an excellent journey, which saw them get past a lot of quality teams from the top leagues in Europe, but the ultimate prize remained in winning the trophy again, as from this season, the Europa League winners were given a direct ticket to the group stage of the Champions League. So, they couldn’t miss the opportunity, but their opposition was equally determined to be the first side to achieve it after crafting a sensational fairytale in the competition.
As a result, the final became a thrilling, chaotic affair, full of goals and completely different from the tense one in Turin just a season ago. Dnipro, as has been the case all season, took a shocking early lead through a Nikola Kalinić header. However, Emery’s men weathered the storm and equalised through Grzegorz Krychowiak. Son of a fisherman who became a beloved figure in Seville, Carlos Bacca put his side ahead in the battle. Yet, Dnipro refused to give up as Ruslan Rotan’s free-kick brought everything level again before half-time. With the pressure mounting, the Spaniard showed his in-game management, stabilising the side in the second half and earning the reward. In the 73rd minute, the Colombian Bacca became the hero again by completing his brace and snatching a dramatic 3-2 victory. Winning consecutive titles cemented Emery's reputation as a tournament specialist, but there was more to come.
Liverpool 1-3 Sevilla - The Hat-Trick in Basel (2015/16 Europa League Final)
The pinnacle of Emery’s Europa League success and his tenure with Sevilla came in Basel, Switzerland, where they scripted an unprecedented feat in the competition's history, defying imagination. This title story became the most highlighted one because it came against one of the most successful teams in Europe and one of the biggest in England, Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. The German was about to bring an unforgettable era to the club, with this being their first European final since 2007 and the media narrative of them being the most likely side to lift the honour to build another legacy made Sevilla grossly underdogs for the tie. Even after the side showed that they are capable of the favourites tag of making the tournament their own, their success was almost sidelined by the burden of history their opponents carried.
The first half almost justified the chatter around Liverpool as they dominated the first half with Daniel Sturridge scoring a brilliant goal with an outside-of-the-boot shot and it seemed to be the theme of the evening. Emery’s Sevilla trailed, but instead of wilting down to the media swirls of inevitability and the passionate crowd of the opposition, they changed their fortune. What followed is widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in European final history. Emery demanded higher pressing and targeted Liverpool’s vulnerable flanks, resulting in an immediate impact with tournament specialist Gameiro equalising just 17 seconds after the break. A stunned Reds failed to recover as Emery’s men completely overwhelmed them with club captain Coke scoring a stunning brace to seal a stunning 3-1 comeback victory. With this win, Emery became the first manager since the 1970s to win three consecutive European trophies with the same club.
Villarreal 1-1 Manchester United; Villarreal won 11-10 on penalties - The Redemption at Gdańsk (2020-21 Europa League Final)
The success at Basel was the epitome of Emery’s delivery of making a historically modest club with less financial support and media backing a European champion. What Liverpool became following that final loss showed his tactical genius. His latest success in the Europa League defined another chapter of his managerial career, a redemption arc of making it to the top again. Emery did not achieve the same heights when he left Sevilla for PSG, sustaining that Remontada embarrassment against Barcelona and also having a tough time with Arsenal, where he had to suffer the disappointment of losing his first Europa League final in the 2018-19 season, that too against London rivals Chelsea by 4-1. The narrative grew that Emery’s tactics do not simply fit elite clubs. A change of air was required, so he returned to his homeland and took the job at another mid-table La Liga team, Villarreal.
Unfazed by his failures in the previous jobs, Emery started building his foundation with the Yellow Submarines, who were dreaming of European success for a long time but were falling short, helping them reach the Europa League final in the 2020-21 season. The Spaniard showed his class in the competition again by reaching his familiar territory and had the chance to do it again to reaffirm his credibility. The opposition was another English giant, Manchester United, who, like their rivals, were looking to get back on their track of glorious past. Emery’s genius came into focus with his style of defensive blocks, halting attacking threats and helping Villarreal take the lead on the half hour mark through their acclaimed striker Gerard Moreno. However, the Red Devils did not hold back as they levelled it up right after half-time.
The score remained the same after extra time, which means the shootout became the decider and it turned out to be a historic one. This was one of the longest and most memorable tiebreakers ever, with all 10 outfield players from both teams successfully scoring penalties. In the end, it came down to two goalkeepers. Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli scored his own penalty and then outstandingly saved Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea's penalty, making his side the champions at Gdańsk. This was the first European title the Yellow Submarines ever lifted in their history and it came down to the man who became the top winner of the competition with a record fourth Europa League title. It was a reminder to the football world that Unai Emery does not need success at a top club with full resources to garner his reputation, as he can build his legacy with clubs that nobody flinches about.
