V for victory, V for Villa: Emery's Europa League magic strikes again

Aston Villa won their first Europa League title on Wednesday, May 20, under the coaching of Unai Emery. This was the Spanish coach's fifth Europa trophy, funnily with clubs having 'Villa' in their name.

In Short

• Aston Villa win their first trophy in 30 years
• Villa win their first ever Europa League title
• Unai Emery is the king of the Europa League

Aston Villa won their maiden Europa League title on Wednesday, May 20, under the guidance of Unai Emery, as the Spanish coach once again proved why he remains the undisputed king of the competition. Remarkably, all five of Emery’s Europa League triumphs have come with clubs carrying ‘Villa’ in their name - Sevilla, Villarreal and now Aston Villa.

Villa dismantled Freiburg 3-0 in the final in Istanbul, capping off a stunning rise under Emery, who took charge of the club in 2022 when they were hovering dangerously close to the Premier League relegation zone. Less than four years later, he has transformed Villa into one of England’s strongest sides, guided them back into the Champions League and now delivered their first European trophy since 1982.

Wednesday’s performance was perhaps the perfect representation of Emery’s Aston Villa project. They were organised without the ball, ruthless in transition and clinical in front of goal, completely overwhelming Freiburg on the biggest night of their season.

“This final is the confirmation about how we are progressing,” Emery told TNT Sports after the match. “Europe gave us a lot.”

As the final whistle blew in Turkey, thousands of Aston Villa supporters erupted in celebration inside the stadium. Among them was Prince William, arguably the club’s most famous fan, who watched on ecstatically as Villa lifted European silverware once again.

“Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!” Prince William posted on X.

“With this manager in charge, anything is possible.”

UNAI EMERY: MR EUROPA LEAGUE

Dubbed “Mr Europa League” by fans across Europe, Emery has built an unparalleled legacy in the competition. He first dominated the tournament with Sevilla, winning three consecutive titles between 2014 and 2016, before guiding Villarreal to glory in 2021. Aston Villa have now become the latest club to benefit from his remarkable European touch.

The triumph also marked Villa’s first major trophy since the League Cup in 1996, underlining just how dramatically the club has risen under the Spaniard.

Emery said after the game that he was proud to have elevated Aston Villa’s standing in Europe and insisted that the ambition now was to establish the club among the Premier League elite while competing strongly in the Champions League next season.

Villa captain John McGinn dedicated the victory to supporters who stood by the club through some of the darkest moments in recent history, including their three-year spell in the Championship between 2016 and 2019.

“I can’t believe it to be honest, what we’ve been through as a club,” McGinn said.

“This club was close to being in a right bad way seven years ago. Tonight was just everything we have built coming together.”

“At 3-0 with ten minutes to go, thinking we’re European champions, it was something I can’t even describe. It’s so special.”

Forward Morgan Rogers echoed those sentiments after Villa completed a historic night in Istanbul.

“We’ve worked so hard for this,” Rogers said.

“We knew we had one more game to give it our all, and we all delivered. Great moment for the fans, great moment for the club. We’ll go down in history.”

- Ends