Unai Emery‘s appointment at Arsenal sees the Spaniard join a list of pedigreed managers from his country to have journeyed to the Premier League.
The 46-year-old has promised to lead the Gunners to the summit of world football again, and he’ll do well to follow the example of a couple of his compatriots, Rafa Benitez and current league champion Pep Guardiola.
Here’s a look at the Premier League’s Spanish roll call.
Rafael Benitez – Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle
Leading Liverpool to the Champions League title in 2005 remains the pinnacle of the club’s achievements this millennium, for at least a few more days. Repeated a dramatic cup run the next season in the FA Cup, then took over a poor Chelsea side and led them to a Europa League win. To top that, he took over Newcastle in the midst of a doomed relegation battle, brought the Magpies back up as Championship winners, then kept them in the Premier League against all odds.
Rafa Benitez’s Champions League triumph with Liverpool gives him the edge.
Pep Guardiola – Manchester City
One utterly dominant season with City – the first side to ever hit 100 points in a Premier League season, winning the league with a record 19-point margin, and adding the League Cup for a domestic double. Still, is it fair to classify him as the best-ever manager from his country only two seasons in? A close call between him and Benitez.
Has Pep done enough to be called the best yet?
Roberto Martínez – Wigan and Everton
Roberto Martinez’s legacy is the hardest to determine. He led Wigan to a historic FA Cup triumph, but they were relegated the same season – a first-of-its-kind double. At Everton, he took a thrilling young side to fifth in league, but followed that up with a 12th-place finish the next season, earning him the sack.
Leading Wigan to the FA Cup may be the single greatest achievement on this list.
Juande Ramos – Tottenham
Remains the last manager to have won a trophy with Tottenham, the League Cup in 2008. He wasn’t able to lead Spurs into the top four, but performed well enough to earn a move to Real Madrid soon after.
Juande Ramos won a trophy at Tottenham. How many managers can say that?
Quique Sanchez Flores – Watford
His 2015-16 season with Watford was a qualified success. At Christmas, they were just one point behind the Champions League places, and they reached the FA Cup semi-finals. Only the top seven had a better defensive record that season. Ultimately, however, a poor second half of that season led to his sacking.
Quique Sanchez Flores was a well-respected figure at Watford.
Javi Gracia – Watford
Brought in last season after Watford were in the midst of an alarming slump under predecessor Marco Silva, Gracia steadied the ship for the Hornets. A memorable win over Chelsea was the highlight of his reign, but he failed to coax more such performances out of his side and was sacked at season’s end.
Gracia didn’t do enough in his short stint to earn the Watford job on a long-term basis.
Aitor Karanka – Middlesbrough
Leading Middlesbrough to the Premier League in 2016 was a highlight, but once they reached the promised land, Karanka’s Teesiders were a dour, negative side and duly went straight back down.
Karanka’s Middlesbrough were utterly uninspiring in the Premier League.
Pepe Mel – West Brom
Seventeen games, three wins. Suffice it to say that with that record, Pepe Mel didn’t last until the end of his 18-month contract, getting sacked in May 2014 after only having joined the club in January.
Pepe Mel’s stint at West Brom was not a happy one.
