Nicolo Zaniolo makes telling Aston Villa admission as ‘genius’ Unai Emery sets club record

Nicolo Zaniolo told talkSPORT that he holds no ill feelings over his Aston Villa exit as he revealed he still watches the team from Italy.

The 26-year-old Italy international spent just one season under Unai Emery but admitted the Spaniard was one of the best he’s ever had.

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Zaniolo’s arrival at Villa Park in August 2023 was viewed as a huge coup for the club, having joined on loan from Galatasaray.

However, the 19-cap Italian made just nine starts in 25 Premier League appearances and scored just two top-flight goals with no assists.

Despite this, Zaniolo still holds fond memories of his brief stint at Villa, during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT this month.

Nicolo Zaniolo on Aston Villa loan

“In England, it was a very good experience because the Premier League, I think it’s the NBA in football, it’s the best league in the world,” the playmaker said.

“It’s the most difficult league, I think, in the world because every club, every player are so strong, are so good.

“I learned so much in this time, and I played in Aston Villa, it was a very good team [then] and [still] now it’s a very good team.

“The coach was Unai Emery, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve had in my life, and yes, I was happy to have this beautiful experience.”

‘Complete Emery’ sets Villa record

Emery, who already has the best win ratio of any manager in Aston Villa’s history at 55.2 per cent, reached 100 club victories this week.

The 54-year-old’s centurion tally from 181 games eclipses Ron Saunders from 1977-78 as the quickest Villa boss to the landmark.

During the 2023/24 campaign, Zaniolo struggled to earn Emery’s trust and never completed 90 minutes in the Premier League.

Yet the 2021/22 Conference League winner still held the Villa manager in high regard and revealed he still keeps tabs on his old loan side.

On Emery, Zaniolo said: “He’s a complete, complete coach.

“He’s a genius tactically, he’s a very good guy, he’s a very good man, he’s a very experienced coach, he won so many Europa League [titles] and now I continue to follow Aston Villa.

“I continue to see the improvement in the team, now I think they are third in position in the league, and I’m very happy to [have played for] Aston Villa.”

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Zaniolo wanted permanent Villa transfer

There was a ‘conditional compulsory purchase option’ in his loan deal to make the switch permanent if certain criteria were met.

Zaniolo admitted to talkSPORT that he had started the campaign hoping to remain long-term at Villa before his situation changed.

Competition for places reduced his gametime, not helped by the arrival of Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough in the winter.

Zaniolo made just two Premier League starts in the second half of the season before injury struck on his final Villa appearance.

The 2018-19 Serie A Young Player of the Year broke his metatarsal in a 3-3 draw with Liverpool, which also saw him miss Euro 2024.

“Aston Villa is amazing, it’s an amazing club, it’s amazing fans, the crowd are amazing, Villa Park is a temple, and when I played there, I enjoyed every moment because I understand and I know the important club for England, so I think it’s one of the historic teams.”

“In the beginning, I think I was starting well, I played the first three, four months, every match, starting 11.

“After, I don’t play so much, but because the team in this time, at the end of the season, we arrived fourth place and Aston Villa got Champions League.

“It was Leon Bailey, it was Moussa Diaby, at this time [Ollie] Watkins, it was Rogers in January, and competition is full of big players.

“One of my goals at this time was to become a permanent player of Aston Villa, but they decided they don’t see me as permanent.

“I accepted the decision, but I still continue to see Aston Villa, I still continue to have a big respect for the club and for the players.”

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Zaniolo on life at Udinese

Zaniolo, who is still on the books at Galatasaray, has spent the past three seasons on loan from Süper Lig club to different teams in Italy.

The ex-Atalanta star is now flourishing at Udinese alongside former Villa striker Keinan Davis, with five goals and three assists in Serie A.

Zaniolo added to talkSPORT: “Serie A is, I think, for my characteristics, for my type of football, it’s the perfect league to play.

“I love Italy, I love Serie A and my first dream when I play outside of Italy is to come back home, and this summer I have this opportunity to come to Udinese, and I was very happy.”

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Zaniolo, who has been handed Udinese’s iconic No.10 shirt, revealed: “Every shirt, the number 10 is important, but in Udinese it’s more special because a lot of players, big players like [Antonio] Di Natale, like Zico, like [Rodrigo] De Paul have had it in the past.

“And yes, in my past interview, I said I want to do half of what they did for this club. It’s a privilege, it’s an honour.

“I want to wear the shirt with the maximum commitment and respect for the shirt, for the fans and also for the club.”