By Daily Review Online
Aston Villa ended a 30-year wait for major silverware after defeating SC Freiburg 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday night.
Goals from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers sealed a memorable victory for manager Unai Emery and delivered Villa’s first trophy since the 1996 League Cup.
Tielemans opened the scoring in the 41st minute with a stunning volley after connecting perfectly with a clever corner routine. Moments later, Buendía doubled the advantage with a brilliant curling strike that left Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu helpless.
Rogers completed the rout in the second half, sliding home Buendía’s cross to spark wild celebrations among thousands of Villa supporters inside Besiktas Stadium.
The triumph also marked Aston Villa’s first major European title since their historic European Cup success in 1982 against Bayern Munich. In a symbolic tribute to that famous victory, Villa wore white shirts — the same colour they donned in Rotterdam 44 years ago.
For Emery, the victory further cemented his remarkable Europa League legacy. The Spaniard has now won the competition five times, following previous triumphs with Sevilla and Villarreal.
The success capped a remarkable turnaround for Aston Villa, who struggled early in the season before embarking on an impressive European run that saw them win 13 of their 15 Europa League matches.
Villa’s resurgence under Emery since his arrival in 2022 has transformed the club from relegation contenders into European champions and Champions League qualifiers.