There are not many clubs in the world where the director of football is the most important person, but it’s been that way at Sevilla for the most part of two decades.
Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo AKA Monchi has his fingerprints all over the seven Europa Leagues won by the Spanish club – three of them with Unai Emery, and now the pair will try to emulate that success at Villa Park.
Manchester City have Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain, now Villa have their own Spanish synergy dream team.
Critics of Monchi will point to 2017, the last time he left Sevilla.