Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of Unai Emery as their new head coach.
The 46-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain manager joins the Gunners after two years in France where he led PSG to four trophies in the recently completed season.
He was previously with Spanish side Sevilla who he took to three consecutive Europa League titles.
Having begun his coaching career with Lorca Deportiva, Emery then had spells with Almeria, Valencia and Spartak Moscow before joining Sevilla in 2013.
He takes over from Arsene Wenger, who stepped down this season after 22 years with the club.
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis welcomed Emery with a statement on the club’s official website.
“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.
“His hard-working and passionate approach and his sense of values on and off the pitch make him the ideal person to take us forward.
“We conducted a confidential, wide-ranging and rigorous search involving extensive background references, data and video analysis, and personal meetings with all the candidates we shortlisted. All were interested in the position and we were unanimous in our choice of Unai to drive the next chapter of our history.”
Stan Kroenke added: “We’re delighted to welcome Unai to Arsenal. He’s a proven winner. We’re confident that he is the right person for the job and that he will work to deliver the triumphs our fans, staff and everyone who cares about Arsenal want.”
And the manager himself revealed his delight at having joined a ‘great’ club.
He said: “I am thrilled to be joining one of the great clubs in the game.
“Arsenal is known and loved throughout the world for its style of play, its 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.
“I have met Stan and Josh Kroenke and it’s clear they have great ambitions for the club and are committed to bringing future success. I’m excited about what we can do together and I look forward to giving everyone who loves Arsenal some special moments and memories.”
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