Emery proud of first Ballon d'Or nomination, but does not expect to win

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says he is proud to have received his first Ballon d'Or nomination, but admits he does not expect to win.

Emery is one of five names on the shortlist for the men's coach of the year award, after he led Villa to victory in the Europa League last season, ending the club's 30-year wait for silverware.

The shortlist

• Unai Emery, Aston Villa: Europa League winner, his fifth title in the competition.
• Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League winner.
• Mikel Arteta, Arsenal: Premier League winner.
• Luis de la Fuente, Spain: World Cup winner.
• Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich.

"I feel very valued"

Speaking to the Spanish newspaper Diario de Sevilla, the 54-year-old said: "Being nominated for the Ballon d'Or is something to be proud of."

"Sometimes people tell me: 'Unai is undervalued in football'. No, I feel very valued in the places I've been, I feel very valued in football in general, and I don't feel like I'm lacking anything," he said. "I feel like I have a very important place, and for me, it's an honour and a source of pride."

An outsider

The Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place in London on 26 October, and Emery sees himself as an outsider.

"I don't know who they'll give it to," he said. "I imagine the Champions League winner carries a lot of weight, and it could be Luis Enrique, or even winning the World Cup like De La Fuente did, that would also have its significance, but I don't know. I think the Europa League winner does too, and that's why I'm in the running, but a little less so."

Mr Europa League

Emery's record in the competition is unmatched. He won it three years in a row with Sevilla, from 2014 to 2016, and again with Villarreal in 2021, before adding a fifth with Villa last season.

He took charge at Villa Park in November 2022, with the club in the lower half of the Premier League table. Since then he has led them into the Champions League, to a European semi-final and now to a European trophy, the club's first major honour since the League Cup in 1996.

The coach of the year award

The men's coach of the year prize, named the Johan Cruyff Trophy, was added to the Ballon d'Or awards in 2024. Previous winners are Carlo Ancelotti, then of Real Madrid, and Luis Enrique.

The Ballon d'Or itself, for the best player, is organised by France Football magazine with UEFA, and is voted for by a panel of journalists from around the world.

Back to the day job

Emery's attention is on Saturday's home match against Brentford, as Villa look for their first Premier League win at Villa Park this season after defeats by Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.