Football
Mark Rodden 8y

PSG boss Unai Emery happy with start after friendly win over West Brom

Paris Saint-Germain manager Unai Emery has said he was satisfied with his first game in charge of the club after watching the French champions beat Premier League club West Bromwich Albion 2-1.

Emery, 44, was appointed as PSG boss last month after the club decided to part company with former France head coach Laurent Blanc.

Emery's first game on the PSG bench was a pre-season friendly in Schladming on Wednesday and the ex-Sevilla coach watched Adrien Rabiot and Lucas score in the second half after David Luiz's early own goal had West Brom in front.

Speaking to the club's TV channel after the game in Austria, the Spaniard said he was pleased after trying out a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation during the game.

"I'm very happy with the result, though that's not the most important thing," Emery said. "I'm above all happy with the players' work. We've had 10 days of work, and I'm very happy with what has been achieved up to now.

"The match was more difficult in the first half, but it was important to let the young players play. In the second half, it was a little better with players like Lucas and [Serge] Aurier coming on."

With the club's record goal scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic having left for Manchester United, Hatem Ben Arfa will be hoping to be the next fans' favourite in the French capital. Emery told L'Equipe that the summer signing had impressed on his first outing for his new club. 

"Hatem played well even if he was better at No. 10 than at No. 9," Emery said. "He can also play on the wing. Versatility is important."

Ben Arfa, who joined PSG from Nice on a free transfer, is content with how things had gone for him so far.

"I've been very warmly welcomed, and I was happy to meet everyone," he told the club's TV channel.

"As far as the match goes, it's always good to get back onto the pitch, in spite of the conditions... It's only a pre-season game, and we're slowly going to get up to speed."

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