Why Aston Villa’s pursuit of Roberto Olabe as good as confirms Unai Emery’s future
Aston Villa look set to bring in Roberto Olabe as their new recruitment chief, in a move which should dispel any rumours of Unai Emery’s exit.
Olabe is coming in to replace Monchi as Villa’s president of football operations, with the 57-year-old set to move on after two years in the role.
There have been suggestions that Monchi’s departure is a hint that Emery could also be leaving, as the pair had a very good working relationship.
However, the Spanish manager also has prior history with Olabe, and evidence suggests that this is another appointment driven by the Villa boss.
Potential Roberto Olabe appointment likely to mean pressure off Emery
Emery’s future at Aston Villa has been questioned, following his side’s extremely poor start to the season, which sees them sitting 18th in the Premier League after five games.
However, the appointment of Olabe is likely to quell some of the talk around the Villa boss’s potential exit, due to the pair’s previous interactions.
Back in 1995, during their playing days, Olabe and Emery both made their debuts for Real Sociedad in the same match.
Fast forward to 2006, Olabe was working in a directorial capacity at Spanish side Almeria, and actually hired Emery as manager.
It is clear that the pair have a good working relationship, and that Aston Villa have made this new appointment with the hope that Emery will remain at the club for years to come.
Unai Emery key to Aston Villa decision making
It is no secret that Emery is a huge figure at Aston Villa and commands a lot of respect from the hierarchy at the club.
The 53-year-old has a say in all of the big calls, and according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Olabe was Emery’s choice for the new president of football operations.
Villa have been heavily restricted by profit and sustainability rules in recent transfer windows, which has undoubtedly frustrated their manager, but he is still committed to the cause.
During his time with the Midlands giants, Emery has led them from being relegation battlers in the Premier League, all the way to Champions League quarter-finalists.
His standing at the club has been earned, and there can be no doubting his ability as a manager, so it would be no surprise to see him turn things around very quickly at Aston Villa.