Villareal coach Unai Emery praises Atalanta ahead of their Champions League meeting: ‘They are on the same level as Inter, Juventus and Milan.’
The La Liga side host La Dea in their opening Champions League match of the season tomorrow.
It kicks off at 20.00 UK time.
“When I analysed Atalanta, I thought ‘wow’. A different and smart team, training very well. If you look at the history of Atalanta, you see that it is something different than Villarreal,” Unai said at a press conference as per Calciomercato.com.
“They have more history, but not the same European tradition. However, there is constant growth also thanks to [Gian Piero] Gasperini. They are consolidating as one of the top clubs in Italy,” the former Arsenal coach continued.
“Atalanta is on the same level as Milan, Inter, Juventus and Napoli. We must respect them and adapt to how they play. We are eager to face this challenge with all our means.
“It would be great to start with a win. It’s a big challenge for Villareal, it’s the fourth time we play in the Champions League. We’ll try to win every game. It’s a short competition and Manchester United are the clear favourite to win the group.”