Villa turn to Sanz as Emery reshapes backroom staff

While Sanz and Emery have not worked together before, they have mixed in Spanish coaching circles.

And Sanz has worked in England before. He joined Sheffield United in July 2021 as First Team Coach alongside Manager Slaviša Jokanović, who he had previously coached as a player at Tenerife.

When Jokanović was dismissed by the Blades in November 2021, Sanz went with him. He returned to Spain, later working as an Assistant at Valencia, before spending the 2025/26 season as number two to Alessio Lisci at Osasuna.

The departing coaches

Both Ayestarán and Saravia were part of the coaching team Emery assembled when he arrived at Villa Park in November 2022.

Ayestarán, 63, spent eleven years as Assistant to Rafael Benítez at Valencia and Liverpool and later worked as a Head Coach in Mexico, Israel, Spain, Portugal and Israel.

Ayestarán first worked with Emery as a fitness coach at Valencia in 2009/10, and rejoined him at Villa in November 2022. He took charge of the team for a Premier League fixture against West Ham in January 2025, when Emery served a touchline ban

Saravia, known as “Rodri,” followed Emery to Villa from Villarreal, where he had worked as an Individual Performance Coach in 2021/22.

A former Barcelona academy prospect, he had earlier coached at clubs including Girona, Cádiz, Real Zaragoza and Tenerife.

Villa have qualified for the 2026/27 Champions League, both as Europa League winners and through their Premier League finish.