Villa, Unai Emery
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Aston Villa took on Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Europa League semi final on Thursday evening but the game was overshadowed by a controversial incident
Real Madrid have reportedly added Aston Villa manager Unai Emery to their shortlist of candidates to take over the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Unai Emery could not have made himself clearer. With 1957 being the last time they won the competition, the Villa manager was well aware of how "important" the FA Cup was to the club's supporters, but stressed "we have a clear order in our priorities".
How Aston Villa manager Unai Emery built his reputation: A complete look at his coaching career path
The 54-year-old is one of the most successful Spanish coaches to have worked abroad. Tonight, he faces his seventh Europa League semi-final.
A 77th-minute winner from Kobbie Mainoo secured Champions League qualification for Manchester United on Sunday as Michael Carrick's side beat Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford. The goal restored United's lead after a quickfire second-half double from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo had seen Liverpool cancel out early strikes from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.