Unai Emery becomes first Premier League manager to publicly address the European Super League
Unai Emery has become the first Premier League manager to publicly address the European Super League.
On Thursday, the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law by blocking the formation of the European Super League in 2021.
It was met with widespread condemnation as A22 Sports Management, the company behind the project, unveiled their ambitious new format proposal.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all denounced the ESL as they hit out at the concept.
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The ESL has only been backed by La Liga duo Real Madrid and Barcelona, with Napoli ready to participate in discussions with other major European clubs to build the project together.
Aston Villa, who are in the next round of the Europa Conference League, are aiming to reach the Champions League next season as they currently occupy third place in the table.
Speaking ahead of his side's league fixture against Sheffield United on Friday, Emery was quizzed about the latest vision of the ESL.
He expressed his enjoyment of playing under UEFA governed competitions and said his Super League is the Premier League.
"I want to focus on the match tomorrow and I want to play in Europe with Aston Villa"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 21, 2023
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery on the European Super League 🔊 pic.twitter.com/LKyQaJ7SYq
The Spaniard said via Birmingham Live: "I don't know what I can respond about it because my 'Super League' is the Premier League.
"Of course I like to play in Europe. I enjoy playing Champions League, Europa League and Conference League with Aston Villa."
He added: "I don’t know exactly how they want to create a new structure. I respect everybody and every decision, but I can only speak about our way.
"For me, it's not more. My focus is tomorrow's game and playing in Europe with Aston Villa."
Emery was asked about the ESL on the eve of their big game against Sheff United.
A win over the Blades would see Villa climb above Liverpool and Arsenal to the top of the league.
Topics: Unai Emery, Football, Aston Villa
Nasir Jabbar