As Samuel Chukwueze looped the ball over Manuel Neuer at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening, Newcastle United must have been the furthest thing from Unai Emery's mind.
The Spaniard, renowned as *the* Europa League specialist, rejoiced on the touchline as his Villarreal side made it to the Champions League semi-final at the expense of Bayern Munich. Less than six months ago it was a different story, with Emery pondering a return to England to plot a relegation escape route, rather than a European masterplan.
"When Newcastle called me, I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to a serious project. For me, it was a source of pride, satisfaction and I appreciated it," he admitted recently.
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"I thought about the offer and I spoke with (Villarreal president) Fernando Roig but I also had to take into account that we were in the Champions League with Villarreal, mid-season. In the end, with a lot of respect for Villarreal, and a lot of respect for Newcastle, I decided to stay here."
Fans on Tyneside were joyous at the prospect of Emery taking charge, openly championing the arrival of the former Arsenal boss as Steve Bruce's replacement. It's no surprise either when you consider his CV boasts a Ligue 1 title, four wins in five Europa League finals and countless domestic trophies over the last decade.
But despite his success abroad, tasking Emery with salvaging a hopeless start to the Premier League season with Newcastle would have been a huge risk by the new ownership.
Arsenal were hours away from appointing Mikel Arteta as Arsene Wenger's successor at the Emirates before Emery blew club chiefs away with a meticulous plan for the club going forward - one which included detailed analysis of every single player on their books.
While a Europa League final was reached under his stewardship, things turned sour quickly. Roundly mocked for his 'Good Ebening' catchphrase, Emery became a 'meme' on social media due to his attempts at speaking English.
In France it was the same story, with the 50-year-old routinely mocked in the press and by his players as he attempted to learn French. It is no secret that Emery fell out with Newcastle hero Hatem Ben Arfa at the club, with the player openly mocking his manager's French accent in the dressing room.
The pair clashed on the pitch too, with Emery lambasting the player for being selfish. "Stop taking yourself for Messi. You're not Messi," Ben Arfa was allegedly told.
PSG star Julian Draxler also admitted that Emery's instructions were hard to take in: “Under Unai Emery, I realised that playing abroad was different. I consider him a very good coach, but with him the communication was sometimes not that easy. When you talk to Thomas [Tuchel] and he clearly tells you in two sentences in German what is good and what is not good, that is certainly an advantage.”
It's undeniable that Emery's best work takes place in Spain, where he can communicate as freely as he desires. Lorca, Almeria, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal are his success stories. Spartak Moscow, PSG and Arsenal are the blemishes on his otherwise spotless record.
Both Emery and Newcastle will have no regrets over the decision, with the former on the cusp of another European dream and Newcastle safe from the drop after an impressive turnaround from Eddie Howe.
It's not to say in the future Emery won't be tasked with sharing some of his European secrets on Tyneside - but for now he still belongs in his native Spain.
