Aston Villa have confirmed a reshuffle in Unai Emery’s backroom staff for the new season, including the departure of Pako Ayestaran.
It’s been a fantastic stint in charge for Emery since he arrived in 2022, as the club have enjoyed consistent progress and success under his stewardship during that time as we secured Champions League football once again last season as well as winning the Europa League.
An integral part in that process has been the work of his coaching staff, and fortunately for Villa, we’ve had stability and familiarity in that area over the past few years as Emery has had a close-knit team working with the players and around the club.
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However, there will be changes this season as Villa have announced that Ayestaran will depart along with Individual Performance Coach Antonio Rodriguez Saravia, with Jose Maria Sanz being appointed as Emery’s new Assistant Coach.
It’s added that Sanz has over 20 years of coaching experience after spells with Valencia, Sheffield United and Osasuna and he’s someone that Emery knows well, and so it’s hoped that he can fill that void and be an influential new presence within the coaching staff.
As for Ayestaran and Rodri, both have been pivotal in our memorable run over the last few years, with the former seemingly offering a calming presence with his wealth of experience on the bench, while the latter has been cited on countless occasions by the players for helping them improve their respective games with his in-depth analysis.
In turn, it’s hoped that we don’t miss their input too much as that can be disruptive and lead to further issues, but Emery will undoubtedly have full trust in his new arrival, and hopefully change will prove to be a positive thing that adds a different dynamic and more room for improvement moving forward.
