Painful memories travel with Villa coach Unai Emery as he returns to PSG in Champions League
Painful memories travel with Villa coach Unai Emery as he returns to PSG in Champions League
PSG head coach Unai Emery reacts at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday March 8, 2017. Barcelona won the match 6-1 (6-5 on aggregate). (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
ManU’s Marcus Rashford , bottom, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goalduring the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday, March. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
PSG’s Marco Asensio celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the French League 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE -PSG’s Lucas Digne control the ball during his French League one soccer match between Toulouse FC at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon, File)
Aston Villa’s head coach Unai Emery gestures to his players during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Aston Villa at the Gtech Community stadium in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford, center right, celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game with teammate Marco Asensio during the English FA Cup quarter final soccer match at Deepdale, Preston, England, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Brugge’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, front, reacts after Aston Villa’s Marco Asensio scoring his side’s third goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Brugge’s Chemsdine Talbi, left, fights for the ball with Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
PSG head coach Unai Emery reacts at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday March 8, 2017. Barcelona won the match 6-1 (6-5 on aggregate). (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
PSG head coach Unai Emery reacts at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday March 8, 2017. Barcelona won the match 6-1 (6-5 on aggregate). (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
ManU’s Marcus Rashford , bottom, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goalduring the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday, March. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
ManU’s Marcus Rashford , bottom, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goalduring the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday, March. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
PSG’s Marco Asensio celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the French League 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
PSG’s Marco Asensio celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the French League 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE -PSG’s Lucas Digne control the ball during his French League one soccer match between Toulouse FC at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon, File)
FILE -PSG’s Lucas Digne control the ball during his French League one soccer match between Toulouse FC at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon, File)
Aston Villa’s head coach Unai Emery gestures to his players during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Aston Villa at the Gtech Community stadium in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Aston Villa’s head coach Unai Emery gestures to his players during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Aston Villa at the Gtech Community stadium in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford, center right, celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game with teammate Marco Asensio during the English FA Cup quarter final soccer match at Deepdale, Preston, England, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford, center right, celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game with teammate Marco Asensio during the English FA Cup quarter final soccer match at Deepdale, Preston, England, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Brugge’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, front, reacts after Aston Villa’s Marco Asensio scoring his side’s third goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Brugge’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, front, reacts after Aston Villa’s Marco Asensio scoring his side’s third goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Brugge’s Chemsdine Talbi, left, fights for the ball with Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
Brugge’s Chemsdine Talbi, left, fights for the ball with Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
PARIS (AP) — When Aston Villa coach Unai Emery returns to Parc des Princes for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, it may stir up some difficult memories for him.
In contrast, Villa’s on-loan forward Marcus Rashford will doubtless recall one of his happiest soccer experiences.
For Villa defender Lucas Digne and attacking midfielder Marco Asensio, the trip could be a case of mixed feelings.
The night it all went wrong
Emery was PSG’s coach for one of the biggest humiliations in Champions League history.
That was eight years ago, when PSG faced Barcelona in the Round of 16 and became the first team in Champions League history to throw away a 4-0 lead from the first leg, losing 6-1 in the return.
PSG then lost the Ligue 1 title to Kylian Mbappé's Monaco.
A few months later, PSG spent 422 million euros (then $456 million) during the offseason to buy Neymar from Barcelona and Mbappé in a stunning double swoop.
But even they could not save Emery.
He left at the end of the following season after two difficult years during which PSG went out twice in the last 16 of the Champions League, but he also made his mark as a coach willing to stand up to player power.
“It was a difficult time,” Emery said. “For the team to adapt to me and for me to adapt to the team.”
Villa seems to have adapted very well to his methods. The Birmingham-based club is on a seven-game winning run heading into its first quarterfinal in the competition since 1983.
Emery, who has won the Europa League a record four times as a coach, guided unheralded Villarreal to the Champions League semifinals in 2022.
Rashford punishes PSG
The season after Emery’s departure, PSG experienced another Champions League blow.
On that occasion, it was Rashford who dealt it.
He scored a penalty deep into stoppage-time as an injury-hit Manchester United knocked out PSG in the last 16 on away goals, winning 3-1 after losing the first leg 2-0.
The defeat infuriated Thomas Tuchel, who was hired after Emery left. Tuchel said he couldn’t understand why some of his players arrived late for the pre-match preparations.
Digne shone briefly for PSG
PSG’s Qatari owners QSI were preparing for a third season at the helm of the club with new coach Laurent Blanc, and he signed Digne from French rival Lille for 15 million euros (then $16.2 million).
It was a big fee for an unproven 20-year-old defender, but the quick and skillful Digne was impressive at times with his performances at left back.
However, he was unable to hold down a regular place and, after being loaned to Roma, he joined Barcelona in 2016.
His transition to the Premier League, first to Everton and then Villa four years ago, saw him become a consistent and respected Premier League defender.
The 31-year-old Digne recently reached 50 caps for France.
Asensio proves Emery right
Emery sensed an opportunity during the winter transfer window and got Asensio on loan from PSG until the end of the season.
The 29-year-old Spaniard was not getting many opportunities in PSG coach Luis Enrique’s revamped attack.
But he immediately made his mark at Villa, enhancing his reputation as a scoring super-sub.
Heading into Wednesday’s game in Paris, Asensio had scored eight goals in 11 games, including three in the Round of 16 against Club Brugge.
His scoring prowess, which was somewhat stifled at PSG, has re-emerged at Villa. But it will not be a surprise to those who watched Asensio earlier in his career with Real Madrid.
As a strong-running attacking midfielder with a superb first touch and a penchant for long-distance shooting, he netted 61 goals in 286 games and won the Champions League three times, scoring in the 2017 final against Juventus.
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