Unai Emery has revealed how he has had to ‘open the windows’ at Arsenal after 22 years of Arsene Wenger managing the team.
The former Almeria, Valencia, Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain boss was the first new manager at the North London club since 1996 and has made a positive start.
“After 22 years of Wenger, I had to open the windows,” Emery told an interview with Marca.
“The chairs had to be moved in all the departments of the club. And not because of previous negligence, but to stimulate everyone again: to shake thing up, to sweep under the carpets, open windows…but in a positive way.
“I met once with him (Wenger) but that was it. I respect him a lot, but no matter how much information he gave me, I had to change things.
“I told the players: 'We started at the very beginning, with nothing' and even now, four months later, I still say it: ‘We are at the beginning!’
“There were food habits that could be improved. Together with the nutritionist and the physical trainer, we agreed to remove the juices with sugars, but it is normal, what I do at home: eat sugar-free, less fat, healthier food. It is done.
“Arsenal were in decline. We had to stop that and start climbing again, we believe that is now underway.
“I was part of a list of eight candidates the club were going to interview, thanks in part to Arturo Canales (Emery’s future agent) insisting in which I was the best candidate of all.
“I was in doubt about my English, but I was always told that this was not going to be a final problem. And I spoke to them naturally that day.”
