Unai Emery delivered on the promise he made when he first arrived at Aston Villa to bring trophies back to Villa Park.
Three-and-a-half years after taking charge, the Spaniard guided Villa to Europa League glory with a commanding 3-0 victory over Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday night.
Captain John McGinn lifted the trophy as Villa celebrated one of the greatest nights in the club’s modern history.
Watching on from the stands were nine members of the club’s famous 1982 European Cup-winning team, including legendary captain Dennis Mortimer and final goalscorer Peter Withe.
Villa took control of the final through stunning goals from Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia, leaving Freiburg struggling to respond.
Morgan Rogers then sealed the triumph with Villa’s third goal to cap a memorable European performance from Emery’s side.
The night carried strong reminders of Villa’s historic victory over Bayern Munich more than four decades ago. Once again, Villa wore white and defeated German opponents dressed in red only this time the stage was Istanbul rather than Rotterdam.
For Peter Withe and the rest of the 1982 heroes, the latest stars were Tielemans, Buendia and Rogers, while Emery celebrated a fifth Europa League title and secured his own place in Aston Villa history.
