Known as one of the most meticulous coaches in soccer, Unai Emery once let chance decide his starting lineup. In an interview with SkySports, the Aston Villa coach reflected on a day in 2007 when he told his Almeria players—who had just guided to promotion into La Liga—that he would roll dice to select the starting eleven for their next match. "At that moment, it was all about building the players' confidence. I wanted to send the message that I believed in everyone and was ready to play all of them", says the four-time Europa League winner. He added, "Players must feel comfortable in the system, feel important, and know that the coach believes in them. That’s soccer. It’s management. It’s more than tactics." A bold move for a 35-year-old coach at the time, but it worked: "We won 3-0."
Brief
Unay Emery during a training session with UD Almeria in 2007 / © Presse Sports