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Rise of the Villans

Inside Unai Emery's Aston Villa Revolution

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Rise of the Villans

By: Guillem Balague, Mervyn King - introduction
Narrated by: Elexi Walker
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SHORTLISTED FOR FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE 2026 SPORTS BOOK AWARDS

'BRILLIANT, REVEALS DELIGHTFUL DETAILS ABOUT EMERY' The Times
'A BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOOTBALL IDENTITY' Midlands Gazette

"Aston Villa is waking up. The slumbering giant is stretching its limbs, eyes wide with the promise of glory. The fans feel it. The city feels it. With Unai Emery at the helm and new ownership driving ambition, there's a feeling that after years of wandering in the wilderness, Villa is finally coming home to where it belongs..."

Guillem Balagué has had unparalleled access to Unai Emery, his backroom staff and the Aston Villa squad ever since the Spaniard was appointed manager in 2022. From growing up in the Basque region to becoming one of the most exciting coaches today, Rise of the Villans reveals the inner workings of Emery's psyche. Guillem also takes readers inside Bodymoor Heath to show how Unai has transformed Villa into an exciting side renowned for their direct passing, high energy and devastating counter attacks. At the core of the book are Villa's passionate fans, who outline why they believe club and manager are the perfect match.

With the Holte End roaring into life as Villa Park welcomed the return of European football, it was clear for all to see: Unai Emery had awoken the sleeping giant.©2025 Guillem Balague Coaching Europe Football (American) Football (Soccer) Spain Sports Thought-Provoking Inspiring
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Critic reviews

Guillem Balague's brilliant new book on Emery, Rise of the Villans... Balague's book reveals delightful details about Emery, like how he considered trademarking his famous Spanglish interview greeting of "Good ebening" and how his favourite book is Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Father Jacques Philippe, a volume on Catholic spirituality.
One of the book's strengths is that it treats the fanbase as part of the story rather than scenery, capturing why many supporters feel that club and coach are an unusually good match, and what it means when the Holte End senses a real plan unfolding... If you want the cleanest way to describe what Balagué is offering here, it's this: a backstage pass to the making of a modern football identity, told by a writer whose career has been built on getting close enough to show the reader the wiring. Not the roar alone, but the switches that made the roar possible.
All stars
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Excellently written about an absolute living legend. The integrity - it’s like nothing else in football. Incredible

Incredible

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i just found the voice a bit annoying tbh honest nothing against anyone just not my type of voice

amazing story

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Really great book that gives detailed insights into Emery, his fantastic backroom team, and some players. Brings into context many of the things I have witnessed as a season ticket holder over the term of Emery’s appointment. He’s one of a kind, and we are lucky to have him and witness something special. After 40 years of standing on the holte end, his tenure has reincarnated my love for football.

The listen was impacted negatively by the choice of narrator and failed editing. Unusual and misplaced pauses mid sentence and bad structuring of football phrases. Over emphasis on Spanish pronunciation early in the book, clearly edited and over voiced lead to a disjointed performance that can be hard to follow. Yet later other ridiculous parts left unedited - such as the abbreviation for Middlesbrough being pronounced as “borrow” with a Spanish inclination. Difficult to understand how the narrator did this when its context is obvious and the narrator speaks with a brummie accent and pronounces Middlesbrough in full correctly.

Could have been resolved with editing but was left as it seems the editor used all the time or budget on the first chapters of the book. It’s one of those books that works better as a read rather than a listen, and I will be adding the hardback to my collection.

Fantastic, pieces together the fairytale story I have witnessed over the past 4 years.

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Really enjoyed this, superb narration too. A fascinating behind the scenes into Emery and his career so far.

Fantastic insight in to the Don Unai

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Great book for villa or Unai fans or just general sports fans. Best sports book I've ever listened to. UTV

brilliant book

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