Unai Emery set to buy historic Spanish club

Unai Emery is set to complete the purchase of historic Spanish club Real Unión de Irún – one of the founding members of La Liga.

The club, based in the Basque town of Irún, are currently in the Segunda B – the regionalised third tier of Spanish football – and have not been in the top-flight since 1932, but they were one of the founding 10 members of top-division football in Spain.

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Emery’s father Juan and grandfather Antonio were both goalkeepers at the club, with the latter particularly a club legend – and he conceded the first ever goal in the Primera, in a 3-2 loss against Espanyol.

The details of a takeover are outlined by Diario AS, who say that Emery’s lawyer Josu Reta is leading the negotiations with club president Ricardo García, while Emery’s brother Igor – who is a journalist – also influential.

The coach Mikel Jauregi – who worked under Emery at Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal – is also involved in the deal, the report adds.

The Villarreal boss has long-standing family ties to the region and the club – who have spent just three seasons in the second division since 1942.

The deal is expected to be concluded in the coming days, with an expectation that Emery will be the new owner by the first week in February.

Tags Real Union Unai Emery
La Liga - Club News