Emery on Paris, adapting and his winning creed

Considering he won the UEFA Europa League three years running as Sevilla coach, picking up continental trophies has not been a problem for Unai Emery.

That was probably what decided Paris Saint-Germain to lure him to France this summer, as despite four Ligue 1 titles and two French trebles in a row they are still to match their run to the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Emery has a changed squad in the French capital, having brought Grzegorz Krychowiak with him from Sevilla, and with Jesé among other arrivals replacing the likes of David Luiz, Lucas Digne and of course Zlatan Ibrahimović. Emery sat down with UEFA.com to discuss his move to Paris and his methods in building a winning team.

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UEFA.com: Why did you chose to go to Paris?

Unai Emery: Because it is a challenge moving from a big team like Sevilla to another great one like PSG. Each has advantages and drawbacks, but PSG give me the chance to move out of my comfort zone.

Although it was very demanding at Sevilla and I could have kept on developing there, at PSG it's a new challenge. It's the same job, but first I have to get to grips with the language and then I need to find a way to communicate and get through to a different set of players. I've had success in the past, but the challenge lies in trying to replicate it here.

UEFA.com: How do you adapt to a new city

Emery: I think adaptation is very important. When you are in a place and you get your daily life, basic things, in order, then you begin to adapt.

For example, finding a café to frequent when you want to go for a coffee. Sitting down to have a cola and being comfortable. Having a house. Knowing the way to the training ground. That is a process.

And then there is the work. Getting used to the players, coaches and back-room staff is also a process, but you have to adapt quickly because you're expected to get results immediately. All the same, you can't hurry things either.

I am very happy with how that process has gone. After getting to know the team, the communication and feeling have been very positive. Now we need to go even further to find out exactly what each player is like and build a team around that.

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UEFA.com: What were your first impressions of the squad?

Emery: It's a squad that has won a lot and that has developed while winning. I've arrived at a club that want to keep on winning and to kick on to the next level. That's the challenge and it's a difficult one.

The demands are very high and the players live with that. When I'm asked about the pressure after losing a match, I reply that I don't deal in pressure, I deal in demands, requirements.

Here the requirement is to win and the players are aware of that. And that is not easy. That demands a lot of mental effort from me, the players and the club.

UEFA.com: Leaving aside the club you are at now, generally speaking do you think there are many differences between football in France and Spain?

Emery: French football is now dominated by PSG. My first thought when I arrived was that we need to win the league. I don't pay attention to those who say winning the league is easy. Because if you think winning the league is easy and then you fail, it's an even bigger deal.

We've seen an example already. We won our first two matches in the league – they were difficult matches but we won them. And then we faced Monaco, a very good side who are expected to challenge us for the title, and they produced a great performance to beat us.

That is the reality and we need to work on that. That is why the league has to be our bread and butter, giving us credibility as a team. And if we have difficulty winning the league, that will be a good thing because it will force us to compete and make us better competitors in the other competitions we are in. That includes the Champions League, which is very important for the club.

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UEFA.com: When the club courted you, did they tell you Paris had a certain style and you had to respect it, or did they bring you – a fantastic trophy-winning coach – to instill your own preferred style of football?

Emery: The way I'd define myself is that I want to be competitive. And I want the team to be competitive. What does that mean? Playing whatever way takes us closer to victory.

That is a continuous learning process for the players because, in order to win, we need to discover how we can compete. On top of that, it's clear that this team are expected to win by playing well. What does playing well mean? For me, it means being competitive.

Being competitive is also about getting the fans onside through the emotions that the team and players convey. In football, that could be boiled down to scoring lots of goals, but even so you have to be competitive.

It's no good scoring lots of goals if you concede too many. And that's what the process is about. So the identity we want is to be a competitive team that play not only to win, but also to get the fans onside so they are proud of their players and team.

We want to build a team on and off the pitch.

UEFA.com: If you could leave aside the coach and answer as a man, or even channelling the optimistic child inside you: how would it feel to win the Champions League after having won the Europa League? Do you allow yourself to dream of such things when you are a professional at the highest level?

Emery: I like dreaming awake. I like having my mind open to attractive things. Like I say to players, first and foremost you've got to like football. More than that, you need to feel passion for what you do, so when you get up in the morning, you are grateful for having the chance to do what you love and make many people happy.

That's the most important thing. Beyond that, this job can also lead to trophies, I don't mean as an individual but as a club, which means the fans have something tangible to enjoy. But that is not free from difficulties because there are other people looking for the same thing.

So it's hard work. But when you like and feel passion for what you do, you have a better chance of finding the winning formula. And the enjoyment you feel does not come in the destination, the prizes, but in the journey. You need to have dreams and hopes that are in your mind every day, without even needing to think about them. You have to like training, to like scoring when you train, to like training well, improving your physical condition and competing against the opposition.

You're also competing against yourself, and competing against team-mates to make the team better. Then you face opponents and set out to beat them. When you are able to reach your limits and overcome them, the satisfaction is tremendous. And those are my dreams.