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Emery dreaming of Champions League success

SoccerNews in English Premier League 9 Sep 2016

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Unai Emery is dreaming of Champions League success with Paris Saint-Germain after winning three straight Europa League titles at Sevilla.

Emery’s PSG face Arsenal at home on Tuesday, with Ludogorets and Basel the other teams in Group A, with the Ligue 1 champions beaten in the quarter-finals by Manchester City last season.

The Spaniard gave an insight into his footballing philosophy, indicating he believes a love of the game is crucial for players. 

“I like dreaming awake,” Emery told UEFA.com. “I like having my mind open to attractive things. Like I say to players, first and foremost you’ve got to like football.

“More than that, you need to feel passion for what you do, so when you get up in the morning, you are grateful for having the chance to do what you love and make many people happy.

“That’s the most important thing. Beyond that, this job can also lead to trophies, I don’t mean as an individual but as a club, which means the fans have something tangible to enjoy.

“But that is not free from difficulties because there are other people looking for the same thing. So it’s hard work. But when you like and feel passion for what you do, you have a better chance of finding the winning formula.”

Emery explained the fresh challenge of taking over at PSG, moving out of his comfort zone, was among the reasons he opted to switch from Sevilla.

“It is a challenge moving from a big team like Sevilla to another great one like PSG,” Emery said. “Each has advantages and drawbacks, but PSG give me the chance to move out of my comfort zone.

“Although it was very demanding at Sevilla and I could have kept on developing there, at PSG it’s a new challenge.

“It’s the same job, but first I have to get to grips with the language and then I need to find a way to communicate and get through to a different set of players. I’ve had success in the past, but the challenge lies in trying to replicate it here.

“I think adaptation is very important. When you are in a place and you get your daily life, basic things, in order, then you begin to adapt.

“For example, finding a cafe to frequent when you want to go for a coffee. Sitting down to have a cola and being comfortable. Having a house. Knowing the way to the training ground. That is a process.

“And then there is the work. Getting used to the players, coaches and back-room staff is also a process, but you have to adapt quickly because you’re expected to get results immediately. All the same, you can’t hurry things either.

“I am very happy with how that process has gone. After getting to know the team, the communication and feeling have been very positive. Now we need to go even further to find out exactly what each player is like and build a team around that.”

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