Aston Villa end 30-year wait with Europa triumph
Thirty years of waiting for a trophy. Three-and-a-half years of building something at Villa Park. One night in Istanbul to make it all mean something.
Aston Villa are Europa League champions.
A 3-0 victory over Freiburg at Besiktas Park on Wednesday delivered the club its first major silverware since the 1996 League Cup, and its first European trophy since the immortal night in Rotterdam in 1982. Captain John McGinn lifted the trophy as nine members of that legendary European Cup-winning squad watched on from the stands, including captain Dennis Mortimer and goalscorer Peter Withe. History had come full circle, complete with white kits and a German opponent in red.
Youri Tielemans set Villa on their way with a spectacular volley from a short corner routine, before Emi Buendia curled a stunning effort into the top corner to put the result beyond doubt. Morgan Rogers added the third, sending the substitutes streaming onto the pitch and launching Unai Emery into the air on the touchline, clenched fists raised.
For Emery, it was a fifth Europa League title, already a competition record before Wednesday, and the fulfilment of a promise he made the day he arrived at Villa Park. “After 1982 the club won the European Cup, it was something they were missing – the supporters – a trophy. Achieving this one is making us so, so happy but we are not going to stop,” he said.
He was generous in sharing the credit. “I am thankful to Nassef and Wes… they are supporting always. I am thankful to the supporters and I am thankful for the players. All the times I am successful in this competition I needed good players. Now I am so thankful for the players, they are following our ambitions. They are protagonists on the field. This is the reason I am not feeling the king in this competition. I am feeling really thankful – we are the kings together.”
The achievement is made more remarkable by what surrounded it. Villa have operated under significant financial constraints, selling key players each season to comply with Profit and Sustainability rules. Emery inherited a squad three points above the relegation zone in October 2022. The £5.2 million paid to prise him from Villarreal now looks like one of English football’s shrewdest pieces of business.
Tielemans, who has been central to Villa’s European run, reflected on a season that nearly fell apart before it began. “It’s been a season with a lot of ups and downs. We started so so bad. Our standards were very poor. The way we turned things around was a credit to the players and staff. We kept working, believing. We got the win in the end, Champions League next season and a trophy,” he told TNT.
An estimated 20,000 Villa supporters made the journey to Istanbul, nearly double the club’s official allocation of 10,758, packing the bars and cafes around Taksim Square and drowning out Freiburg’s following inside the stadium. Prince William was among those watching, having already sent a message of support on social media before the game.
Rogers, whose future at the club remains uncertain ahead of the summer, was unequivocal about what the night meant. “It’s hard to put into words, we’ve worked so hard for this. We’ve delivered and come through. It’s a great moment for the fans, great for the club. We’ll go down in history.”
At Villa Park, Brian Moore’s commentary of Withe’s winner in 1982 hangs permanently above the Doug Ellis Stand. Somewhere, space is being made for something new.
Source: BBC
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