Denis Suarez, a former midfielder for Arsenal, expressed that Unai Emery was not treated justly during his tenure as manager at the north London club. Suarez recently shared his sympathy for the criticism directed at Emery, who is now with Aston Villa, regarding his decision to choose him over other players. “Unai is an excellent coach, and I believe he was treated very unfairly at Arsenal,” Suarez told The Athletic (via talkSPORT). “He succeeded Wenger, who had been in charge for many years.” People were not as tolerant with him as they had been with Wenger at times. “When you change a coach who has been in place for a long time, you’re searching for a new identity.” I believe Unai was establishing one at the club. “It was a time of change for both the team and the facilities.” The procedure requires time. Unai led them to a Europa League final and a top-five finish, but they didn’t allow him to complete the task. “Arsenal is indeed thriving under Arteta, but Unai could have achieved similar results.” Suarez has stayed in Spain after departing from Arsenal, initially signing a permanent contract with Celta Vigo, then going on loan to Espanyol, and later moving to Villarreal. Reflecting on his short and unremarkable stint at Arsenal, Suarez commented: “It was truly disappointing, to be honest.” When I joined Arsenal, I experienced physical issues. “I couldn’t perform at my usual level, no matter how hard I attempted.” It would have been a different situation if I had been healthy and capable of competing, but it just didn’t happen. “I thought the club was amazing.”
