UNAI EMERY was finally put out of his Arsenal misery by head of football Raul Sanllehi at the club’s London Colney training ground this morning.
The 48-year-old Spaniard knew the end was nigh when he reported for training at nine o’clock only to be ushered into a meeting with Sanllehi, technical director Edu and managing director Vinai Venkatesham.
How Unai Emery’s Appprentice-style sacking may have looked, with Raul Sanllehi pulling the trigger along with Edu and Vinai Venkatesham
And it was immediately made clear that his time was up after leading the club to their worst run of results since 1992.
Emery was thanked for his services during his 18-month reign at the Emirates and informed that his Spanish coaching team would also be leaving with him.
An hour later, the news was then relayed to all the players and entire backroom staff at a specially convened meeting which was also attended by Sanllehi, Edu, Venkatesham, contract negotiator Huss Fahmy and interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg.
Emery did not address the group as a whole but was allowed to say his individual farewells before clearing his office and leaving the club for the last time.
Follow our LIVE ARSENAL BLOG as Emery is sacked
Now his laywers will negotiate a pay-off which is likely to run to around £4million for the remaining seven months of his Arsenal contract.
He knew his time was up after last night’s embarrassing home defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt, Arsenal’s seventh game in a row without a win.
But Sunsport understands that the decision had already been taken before last night’s Europa League defeat.
Both Sanllehi and Venkatesham had flown to Colorado earlier in the week to discuss the growing crisis with billionaire owner Stan Kroenke and his son Josh.
And it was during that meeting that Kroenke gave the green light for Arsenal to begin the search for a new manager.
Sanllehi still needed to get the green light to wield the axe from the owners in a Transatlantic phone call after last night’s game.
But the half-empty stadium and the manager’s failure to get any kind of response from a group of players who had stopped trying meant that Emery’s fate had been sealed.
Unai Emery, left, was dismissed on his arrival to training this morningCredit: Getty – Contributor
Robbie Lyle from Arsenal TV says it’s no surprise that Unai Emery has been sacked
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
