Aston Villa vs Freiburg LIVE: Team news as Villa chase European glory in Europa League final | OneFootball

Getting to grips with Istanbul

Freiburg training in Istanbul ahead of tonight’s final (AP)

Unai Emery is set to lead Aston Villa into the Europa League final (Getty)

Aston Villa are prepared for the Europa League final (Reuters)

Mike Jones20 May 2026 17:36

The Unai Emery lesson Aston Villa can learn to bring back the European glory years

Some are calling it Astonbul. It is also part of the Villa trilogy. And not, though Unai Emery has flagged it up, Aston Villa’s progress to the quarter-finals of three different European competitions in as many seasons. But having won the Europa League with Sevilla and Villarreal, now he could do likewise with the Villa as they face Freiburg in Istanbul.

A fifth Europa League crown would cement Emery’s status as the Carlo Ancelotti of this competition; only Giovanni Trapattoni has won it more than twice, but that was in a different era when, with a solitary club per country qualifying automatically for the European Cup, the Uefa Cup was arguably the hardest to claim.

Richard Jolly20 May 2026 17:30

Aston Villa fans arrive in Istanbul

(PA)

(PA)

(PA)

Mike Jones20 May 2026 17:12

Why is Prince William an Aston Villa fan?

“A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run of the mill teams,” he said.

“I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.

“Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton vs Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea.

“It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time. It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.”

Mike Jones20 May 2026 17:06

Over in Istanbul

Turkey will host a major European final for a fourth time – the Atatürk Olympic Stadium hosted the 2005 Champions League final (Milan 3-3 Liverpool) and 2023 Champions League final (Man City 1-0 Internazionale) and the Sükrü Saracoglu Stadyumu hosted the 2009 Uefa Cup final (Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Werder Bremen).

Mike Jones20 May 2026 16:54

The huge problem for Uefa with English domination of Europe

As tends to be the case with Unai Emery in the Europa League, his team are coming into form at exactly the right time. An often laborious 2026 for Aston Villa has suddenly enjoyed release. Working on limited resources relative to the top of the Premier League, Emery has got it close to spot on. Villa are suddenly flying just before their biggest game in 44 years.

They thrashed Nottingham Forest to get to this Europa League final against Freiburg and then put in one of the performances of the season in shredding Liverpool, scoring four goals in each game.

Miguel Delaney20 May 2026 16:42