Unai Emery has revealed that Watford manager Javi Gracia was the first person he spoke to after being offered the Arsenal job – and he took his advice.
“When the possibility opened to sign here, the first coach, the first person in the football world I called was him,” Emery said.
“I asked some questions about the football here, the clubs, Arsenal, and he recommended to me that I come here.
“For example, we had dinner, their coaches and our coaches, one day in St Albans in September.
“We spoke about football here, English football and their experience because they were here six months before us.
“It was a good conversation about football because Javi Gracia is also a football man.
“They are my friends, not only Javi Gracia but also his assistants Zigor Aranalde and Inigo Arteaga.”
