Rise of the Villans

Rise of the Villans

by Guillem Balague
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe)
Publication Date: 25/09/2025

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Featuring exclusive interviews with Unai Emery, Monchi, Morgan Rogers and more, this is t****he behind-the-scenes account of Unai Emery's Aston Villa revolution, from the award-winning bestseller Guillem Balagué.


In October 2022, Unai Emery was appointed manager of Aston Villa. Despite being one of England's most historic clubs, Emery was taking charge of a team in turmoil and hovering above the relegation zone in the Premier League. But in his very first match, Villa produced a statement victory, deftly beating Manchester United 3-1 at Villa Park. It was a sign of things to come; in his first full season in charge, Emery would lead the club to a top four finish - qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in over four decades.


Guillem Balagué has had unparalleled access to Unai Emery, his backroom staff and the Villa squad ever since the Spaniard was appointed manager in 2022. From growing up in the Basque region to becoming one of the most exciting coaches today, Rise of the Villans reveals the inner workings of Emery's psyche. Guillem takes readers inside Bodymoor Heath to show how Unai has transformed Villa into an exciting side renowned for their direct passing, high energy and devastating counter attacks. At the core of the book are Villa's passionate fans, who outline why they believe club and manager are the perfect match.


With the Holte End roaring into life as Villa Park welcomed the return of European football's most prestigious club competition, it was clear for all to see: Unai Emery had awoken the sleeping giant.

ISBN:
9781399625074
9781399625074
Category:
Football (Soccer
Format:
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe)
Publication Date:
25-09-2025
Language:
English
Publisher:
Orion
Guillem Balague

Guillem Balague is the author of Messi, Bar a, Pep Guardiola, A Season on the Brink, Cristiano Ronaldo, which won the British Sports Book Football Book of Year award in 2016, and Brave New World, his bestelling biography of Mauricio Pochettino.

A key fixture of Sky Sports' coverage of Spanish football for many years, he now broadcasts on BBC Radio 5 Live and for LaLiga TV from Barcelona. He is also the UK Correspondent for AS, the Madrid-based Spanish sports newspaper, and El Larguero, Spain's most popular sports radio show.

His work appears regularly in The Times and in Champions magazine, where he writes a regular column on international football. He is the Director of Football of Biggleswade United, and he won Influencer of the Year 2016 in the Football Blogging Awards.

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