Unai Emery issues new Aston Villa challenge as Europa League glory secured

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·20 Mei 2026

Unai Emery issues new Aston Villa challenge as Europa League glory secured

Basque coach daring to dream after securing his fifth title in UEFA’s second tier

Unai Emery challenged Aston Villa to build on their Europa League triumph in Istanbul.

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The Basque coach became one of Europe’s winningest coaches as his Villa team cruised past Freiburg to secure the top honour, ending the club’s three-decade wait for silverware.

The win is the culmination of Emery’s four years with the club, and speaking at full-time, he said he was looking forward to the club’s future.

“This final is the confirmation for how we are progressing,” Emery told TNT Sports. “To win this title makes sense of everything we are doing.”

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa will play in next season’s Champions League

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He continued, challenging his players and staff to continue chasing improvement: “We are getting stronger, developing everything.

“The club is working to extend the stadium, 10,000 people more. They are improving the training centre, and we are trying to be demanding inside. Next year we will play in Champions League.

“[It makes sense] how we are getting this development with players extending their contracts, but always it is very important we must be so, so demanding in our process and our project. It can only make sense if we are winning, if we are getting objectives.”

Emery went on: “I need support. The owners the players, we are doing it together. We must try to set these ambitions, being clear and realistic. Every step forward we are doing makes sense.”

Unai Emery has now won the Europa League on five occasions

PA

This Europa League title is Emery’s fifth European honour as a manager, marking him as one of the continent’s most successful managers.

Asked how he has achieved such sustained success in the competition, he put his success down to his players: “[European football] is something fantastic. Europe gave us a lot, for myself as well, a lot. I am always very grateful for Europe, for every competition, especially the Europa League.

“I am grateful for the clubs I work at because they show me the way, and as well the supporters we had at Villarreal, Sevilla, and at Aston Villa.

“And of course the players. We played a very serious way. So, so focused. The players, they show faith in me, they wish it. They did it.”