Villarreal manager, Unai Emery, has played down any personal drama ahead of their Europa League semi-final clash with Arsenal.
The Gunners sacked Emery two years ago and replaced him with Mikel Arteta.
However, Emery insists his history with Arsenal is not important, as he only wants to win the competition.
Villarreal have yet to lose in the Europa League this season, and they finished off a 3-1 aggregate quarter-final win over Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, as Paco Alcacer and Gerard Moreno each found the net in the space of seven minutes in the first half to effectively put the tie to bed.
“We are happy. It was a challenge, but the trajectory in the Europa League is being very serious and we are responding at a higher level every time,” Emery said via Marca.
“We have taken the game where we feel more comfortable. We have [managed] it both here and in Zagreb.
“It is a challenge, something that Villarreal has already done. Breaking the barrier of the semi-finals is the great challenge. The idea of reaching the Champions League through the Europa League is very important.
“When I signed here this was [part of the process]. You have to live each moment. We are receiving people’s dream. The dream increases. My past at Arsenal is less important.”
