Unai Emery has not only cemented his status as undisputed king of the Europa League with astonishing fifth win as a manager—but has also sealed Aston Villa’s resurgence as a major force in football.
The 54-year-old Spaniard joined Villa in late 2022, with the famous old Midlands club hovering perilously close to the Premier League relegation zone.
Emery has since hauled Villa to the upper echelons of the domestic league, taken them into the Champions League, and now won them their first trophy in 30 years.
The nature of the 3-0 thrashing of Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul demonstrated all that is best about Emery’s Villa: tactical nous, defensive resilience and oodles of skill.
Spectacular first-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia put Villa in control before Morgan Rogers netted after the interval to kill off outclassed Freiburg.
As the goals went in, Villa’s players were serenaded by hordes of delirious supporters who had travelled from Birmingham to Istanbul.
Among them was Villa’s most famous fan, Prince William, who celebrated the victory ecstatically on X: “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!”
