Aston Villa end 44-year wait with emphatic Europa League triumph

This marks the second consecutive triumph over the competition by an English club

By Ashmit Mazumder

Istanbul: Aston Villa are crowned European champions again after 44 years. Unai Emery’s men lifted the UEFA Europa League trophy on Wednesday night after a commanding 3-0 win over SC Freiburg at Beşiktaş Stadium, Istanbul, securing the club’s first major silverware since 1996 and its first European title in 44 years.

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This marks the second consecutive triumph over the competition by an English club, with the North London club Tottenham Hotspur winning it last year against Manchester United.

The night belonged to Villa’s midfield class. Youri Tielemans broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, hammering a volley past Noah Atubolu to cap a dominant first half. Seconds before the interval, Emiliano Buendía doubled the lead with a curling finish from the edge of the box, stunning a Freiburg side that had never reached a European final before this season.

Morgan Rogers added gloss in the 58th minute, sweeping it home to make it 3-0 and effectively end the contest. Buendía, a constant threat all evening, was named Man of the Match as Villa controlled possession and limited Freiburg to few clear chances. The final whistle confirmed Villa’s first UEFA Europa League title and their second European crown after the 1982 European Cup.

For Emery, it was a record-extending fifth Europa League title and his first with a third club after Sevilla and Villarreal. “We put in a top performance,” Tielemans said in an interview post-match. “To top it off with this, it’s amazing”.

Villa’s route to Istanbul was notably ruthless too. They sent Lille packing after posting a solid 3-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16, followed by humiliating Bologna 7-1 in the quarter-finals, and comfortably getting past fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest 4-1 in the semi-finals. Freiburg’s fairy-tale run included wins over Genk, Celta Vigo and Sporting Braga, but they were outclassed by Villa’s experience and precision.

The occasion also carried extra subplots. Due to Turkish gambling advertising laws, Villa were forced to replace shirt sponsor  Betano with the “Aston Villa Foundation” logo.

UEFA also ruled Villa could not wear their claret and blue home kit to avoid a clash with Freiburg’s red.

The 3-0 victory also delivers Villa a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League and a share of the €565 million prize pool, with the winners collecting performance bonuses on top of their campaign earnings.