How Unai Emery Saved His Family Club Real Union From Ruin

A deep family connection

Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, has a deep personal connection to Spanish club Real Union de Irun. His grandfather, Antonio Emery, was a goalkeeper who played for the club when LaLiga first started in 1929. Antonio was famously the goalkeeper who conceded the very first goal in the history of the Spanish league. Despite that, he was a club legend, helping Real Union win the Copa del Rey in 1924 and 1927.

The family's connection to the club goes even deeper. Unai's father, Juan Maria, and his uncle, Roman, both played for the club. Even his great-uncles played there, with one of them, Francisco, winning the cup in 1918. Today, the tradition continues. Unai's brother Igor is the club president, his brother Koldo helps maintain the pitch, and his 23-year-old son, Lander Emery, plays as a goalkeeper for the team.

Rescuing the club from ruin

Real Union is a historic club, but they fell on very difficult times after being relegated from the top division in 1932. They ended up playing in the semi-professional third tier of Spanish football. By 2021, the club was facing bankruptcy and was close to collapsing.

That was when the Emery family decided to step in and buy the club. Unai Emery explained that they did it out of pure sentiment. He wanted to honour the club's history and his family's link to it.

The financial situation was terrible. Igor Emery explained that the club's value was less than zero because of unpaid debts and poor spending controls. Their lawyer even advised them not to buy it. However, the family took over the debt and put in an initial 300,000 euros. They wanted to keep the club alive and protect its legacy.