Tuesday 13 September 2016 12:12, UK
Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery says he has great admiration for Arsene Wenger ahead of Arsenal's visit to the Parc des Princes.
The Spaniard, who joined PSG in the summer after winning the Europa League three years in succession at Sevilla, says he is still learning as a manager and looks to other coaches, including Wenger, for inspiration.
The pair will go head-to-head in Paris on Tuesday night as they get their Champions League campaigns underway, but Emery says he is aiming to emulate the longevity of Wenger - who marks his 20-year anniversary in charge of the Gunners next month.
"I have been attending UEFA coach meetings for years now and I admire him," Emery said of Wenger.
"I'm 44, quite young, and trying to learn still - I've been speaking with the best coaches in Europe over that time and that includes Wenger.
"I have a lot of respect for his longevity. It's not very common - there was Sir Alex Ferguson - but we'd all like to be in a similar situation to Arsene Wenger."
Emery's reign in France has started with a stutter and the Ligue 1 champions sit seventh after taking one point from their last two outings, including a 1-1 draw with St Etienne on Friday.
However, they could receive a timely boost with the return to fitness of Thiago Silva. The Brazil international has not played for his club since a pre-season friendly against Real Madrid but Emery is keen for him to be involved on Tuesday.
"Big matches are for big players," he said. "We will decide after the final training session. We will see how he feels. The most important thing is if he feels ready. He is a big player. If he feels good, it is a possibility."
