Aston Villa Seek to End 30-Year Trophy Drought in Europa League Final

Emery leads revived Villa Into first European Final in 44 years

Unai Emery’s side face Freiburg in Istanbul as Villa aim for their first major European trophy since 1982. The manager says the club is ready to move to a new level after years of near misses.

Ollie Watkins and Villa are drawing on memories of Peter Withe’s winner against Bayern Munich. A win over Freiburg would give Emery a record-extending fifth Europa League title...

Aston Villa are drawing on their history as former European champions to end a 30-year wait for a trophy. They face Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Unai Emery’s side travel to Istanbul with a chance to make history. It is Villa’s first major European final in 44 years.

Villa pulled off a famous upset in the 1982 European Cup final, beating Bayern Munich thanks to Peter Withe’s goal.

Striker Ollie Watkins said he plans to watch footage of Withe’s winner as he prepares for the final. Villa take on German side Freiburg at the Besiktas Stadium, hoping to repeat that moment.

“I haven't actually seen Withe's winner, but I'm going to. I'm going to look back at it in these next few days before the final as inspiration,”

Watkins said.

“I think Peter is a legend. I've met him quite a few times. He came into the training ground last week to watch.

“It's amazing that he can do that and that we can have a legend around the place.”

The years since Villa beat Bayern in Rotterdam have been difficult at times. The club suffered relegation to the second tier in 1987 and again in 2016, and lost all four domestic finals they reached after beating Leeds to win the 1996 EFL Cup.

 

Unai Emery has helped revive the club since arriving. Villa reached the Champions League quarter-finals last season and sit fourth in the Premier League with one game remaining.

Their run to the Europa League final has also drawn support from Prince William, a lifelong Villa fan. William celebrated with fans at Villa Park after the 4-0 semi-final second-leg win over Nottingham Forest.

Emery now has a chance to strengthen his reputation as the Europa League’s most successful manager. A win would give him a fifth title in the competition.

This will be Emery’s sixth Europa League final. He won it three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, and finished runner-up with Arsenal in 2019.

“Playing for a trophy, playing (at) the high level we are now, is bringing us a lot of very good moments," Emery said.

“I'm feeling so comfortable in the level we are. For the supporters, try to understand we are moving forward (to) a new level. I can feel they are happy.”

Emery on Villa’s progress — Manager’s impact since 2022

Playing for trophies and competing at this level has given us many good moments, Emery said. I feel comfortable with where we are now, and I want the supporters to know we are moving to a new level. I can see they are happy.

Emery’s appointment has transformed Villa since he took charge in 2022. At the time, the club was only three points above the relegation zone.

Back on Turkish soil 🇹🇷 #UEL pic.twitter.com/LGnR1ZjriG

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 19, 2026

Olympiacos knocked Villa out in the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League in the 2023/2024 season. Now Emery has the club on the verge of moving past their reputation as nearly men.

The 54-year-old said that the 6-2 aggregate defeat to the Greek side was a turning point. He believes that loss helped push Villa toward becoming genuine trophy contenders.

“When we lost in the semi-final to Olympiacos, it was a process we needed to get to the moment we are in now,” he said.

“Everything we are doing is going to plan. It makes sense because to be in Europe is (about) being consistent.

“Now the objective is to keep it going for a long time, keep the level as high as possible, with our standards and our ambition.”

Emery’s meticulous approach has proved a strong fit for Villa. For many years the club carried the word “Prepared” beneath the badge on their shirts.

🗣️ Now, it's a new way, a new moment and hopefully a new era."

Unai with full focus on tomorrow ✊ pic.twitter.com/D1pmLKpu5m

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 19, 2026

If Emery follows Tony Barton by leading Villa to European glory, he will secure his place in the club’s history forever. Barton managed Villa to their 1982 triumph.