London: Arsenal announced former Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery as their new boss Wednesday, and handed him the daunting task of revitalising a club that have slipped well behind their Premier League rivals.
The Spaniard, who won the domestic treble with PSG this season, emerged as the shock favourite to replace Arsene Wenger earlier this week after it had appeared that former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta was in line to land the job at the Emirates.
Arsenal will be wary of the turmoil at Manchester United after the departure of long-serving manager Alex Ferguson in 2013 but said the choice of Emery was unanimous.
“I am thrilled to be joining one of the great clubs in the game,” Emery, 46, told Arsenal’s website. “Arsenal is known and loved throughout the world for their style of play, their commitment to young players, the fantastic stadium, the way the club is run. I’m very excited to be given the responsibility to start this important new chapter in Arsenal’s history,” Emery added.
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said the decision to appoint the former Valencia and Spartak Moscow boss had been unanimous. “Unai has an outstanding track record of success throughout his career, has developed some of the best young talent in Europe and plays an exciting, progressive style of football that fits Arsenal perfectly,” Gazdis pointed out.
Arsenal have won three FA Cups in the past five seasons but have consistently failed to mount a credible title challenge since they were last crowned Premier League winners in 2004.
Emery has won two Ligue 1 titles and two French Cup trophies with PSG
Guided Sevilla to three successive Europa League titles
Deal signed at an annual fee of five million pounds
Cech gets his No.1 shirt back
Prague: Arsenal keeper Petr Cech said Wednesday he was happy to finally get back the No.1 shirt he wore throughout his 11 seasons at Chelsea but never with the Gunners. He joined Arsenal in 2015 at age 33 so he was given a No.33 jersey. “I wanted No.1 when I came but it belonged to Wojciech Szczesny at the time,” the 36-year-old Czech keeper told the public ‘Czech Television’. “Last season when he left, it was at the last possible moment so I couldn’t get it either. When they asked me if I would take it this year, of course I was happy to have the opportunity,” added Cech, who has a record 201 clean sheets from 436 Premier League games.