“It was very funny” – Artem Dzyuba recalls how ‘strange’ and ‘difficult’ Unai Emery sent ‘F**k you’ text to one of his teammates
Former Spartak Moscow striker Artem Dzyuba has lashed out at Aston Villa manager Unai Emery for sending a 'f*** you' text to one of his players during his ill-fated stint with the Russian club.
Recall that Unai Emery was in charge of Spartak Moscow between July and November in 2012. The Spaniard endured a difficult spell in the Russian capital and was relieved of his duties following a 5-1 defeat to arch-rivals Dynamo Moscow.
Congratulations to Unai Emery, our former coach, with his 4th @EuropaLeague trophy 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Sad that our team didn’t play in Europa League with him 😅 https://t.co/bLUt77OLAS
Reflecting on the tactician's spell at the club, Artem Dzyuba explained that the new Aston Villa boss was quite strange and difficult to get along with. He then opened up on a foul-mouthed text the Spaniard sent to his teammate Aiden McGeady in the wake of his dismissal.
Speaking to Sport 24, the Russian striker was initially quizzed on if he could remember which manager said, "Dzyuba turned the players and journalists against me as soon as I started giving him less game practice."
The ex-Spartak Moscow forward replied:
"Of course, Unai Emery. I think he said it in his heart, out of resentment or something else, he had to say something. Everything became clear with him when he had already left Spartak and sent a text to Aiden McGeady. He wrote to Aiden McGeady, 'F*** you.' Would a normal coach write this to a player? It's strange."
"He didn't write anything to me. I don't think he even knows my phone number. And, by the way, McGeady has a good question - how did Emery get his phone number? Emery texted him 'F*** you.' I liked McGeady, he said, 'F*** you,' to him. It was very funny."
Artem Dzyuba went on to give an insight into Unai Emery's personality. He also revealed how Aiden McGeady reacted to the incident and said:
"He [Emery] is a very strange, difficult person... He could stand to serve corners for two hours. It was simply unbearable. McGeady just got up and left once. He says, 'Aiden, hit the ball right.' And Aiden was so emotional. Unai drops everything, gets on his knees: 'How much can you?' It was strange for us, not to let anyone go to the toilet or something for two hours."
Artem Dzyuba is particularly a fan of these new wave of Instagram filters 😂 https://t.co/dJwy22MTG0
During his time with Spartak Moscow, Emery oversaw 26 games across all competitions, recording 12 victories, three draws, and 11 defeats.
How Unai Emery and Artem Dzyuba are faring this season
Dzyuba currently represents another Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow, whom he joined as a free agent during the winter transfer window. The striker has made two appearances for his new club since his arrival but is yet to record a goal or assist.
Emery, meanwhile, is doing a good job with Aston Villa in the Premier League this season. The Villans are currently ranked 11th in the table with 31 points in 24 games. They have earned a couple of commendable results so far, beating the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester United.