Emery says he will enjoy his Champions League journey

The first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals will be another highlight, with Aston Villa heading to the Parc des Princes to challenge French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain. Emery said he is proud to lead the team to the Champions League quarter-finals and will enjoy the journey to the fullest.

In the round of 16, Aston Villa eliminated Bruges with a total score of 6-1 and successfully advanced to the quarterfinals.

It is worth mentioning that Emery coached Paris Saint-Germain from 2016 to 2018 and led the team to win the Ligue 1 championship, the French Cup championship, the French Super Cup and other championship cups.

Aston Villa coach Emery said at the press conference, "I coached here for two years and I am always grateful for my coaching experience at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything I have experienced in the past has shaped who I am today. I feel good now. This is the first time I return to the Parc des Princes as an opponent. It means a lot to me. I am proud to lead Aston Villa back here to participate in the Champions League quarterfinals, and I will enjoy this journey."

“The challenge is to maintain consistency. We are now in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and facing Paris Saint-Germain in Paris. This is a moment that everyone at Aston Villa should be proud of and enjoy, but we want to go a step further and make this a regular occurrence.”

Emery added: "PSG beat Liverpool, who were in great form and were considered favourites to win the title, and they played very well and deserved to advance."

Looking forward to seeing Enrique

"Now there are strong teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain is also a favorite. How we face them, how we show the strength of the team, and how we deal with their tactical tests and personal abilities are huge challenges for me and my players. But we are confident that we have a good time in this competition. My goal is to compete and create opportunities with all our strength and enjoy the way we insist on playing."

Speaking of Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique, Emery said, "He is one of the best coaches in football today. He has proved this at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, the Spanish national team, and even in Celta Vigo and Barcelona youth teams. We have played against each other many times, and every time we have suppressed his team, and it is difficult to fully implement our own ideas tactically because he has extremely high requirements for tactical construction and execution."

“His team is strong in pressing, has great possession, and shows great aggression and intensity in every area of the game. Tomorrow’s game will undoubtedly be a challenge, but as always, we will go out there with a competitive attitude and try to dominate the game. This is not a personal rivalry between me and him. I admire him and respect him very much. I’m happy to see him again.”

In addition, Emery added, "I hope we can see top players showing their strengths and exciting competitions, and we will also do our best for Aston Villa."