V to win, V for Villa: Emery’s Europa League strikes again
Aston Villa won their first Europa League title under Unai Emery on Wednesday 20 May as the Spanish manager proved once again why he remains the undisputed king of the competition. Remarkably, all five of Emery’s Europa League triumphs have come with clubs bearing ‘Villa’ in their name – Sevilla, Villarreal and now Aston Villa.
Villa dismantled Freiburg 3-0 in the final in Istanbul to cap a stunning rise under Emery, who took charge of the club in 2022 when they hovered perilously close to the Premier League relegation zone. Less than four years later, he has transformed Villa into one of England’s strongest sides, leading them back into the Champions League and now their first European trophy since 1982.
Wednesday’s performance was perhaps the perfect representation of Emery’s Aston Villa project. They were organized 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 confirmation of how we are progressing,” Emery told TNT Sports after the game. “Europe has given us a lot.
As the final whistle blew in Turkey, thousands of Aston Villa fans erupted into celebration at the stadium. Among them was Prince William, arguably the club’s most famous fan, who was ecstatic to watch Villa lift European silverware again.
“Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone associated with the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!” Prince William posted on X.
“Anything is possible with this manager in charge.
UNAI EMERY: MR EUROPA LEAGUE
Nicknamed ‘Mr Europa League’ by fans across Europe, Emery has built a unique 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 style.
The triumph also marked Villa’s first major trophy since the League Cup in 1996, underlining how dramatically the club has risen under the Spaniard.
Speaking after the game, Emery said he was proud to have raised Aston Villa’s status in Europe and insisted the ambition is now to push the club into the Premier League’s elite while also competing strongly in the Champions League next season.
Villa captain John McGinn dedicated the victory to the fans who have stood by the club through some of the darkest moments in recent history, including their three-year run in the Championship between 2016 and 2019.
“I can’t believe to be honest what we’ve been through as a club,” McGinn said.
“This club was close to being in bad shape seven years ago. Everything we built came together tonight.
“Being 3-0 up 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 on this,” Rogers said.
“We knew we had one more game to give it our all and we all did it. A great moment for the fans, a great moment for the club. We’re going to make history.”
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
21 May 2026 10:07 IST