Villa’s journey from Championship football to Europa League winners – reaction

Europa League final reaction: Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 to end a 30-year trophy drought
There will be an open-top bus victory parade through Birmingham city centre later – see details here
Villa will now play Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup final in Salzburg in August
Captain John McGinn, who scored in the play-off final when Villa won promotion to the Premier League in 2019, says it is ‘the proudest night of his career’
It is a watershed moment for the club after ending a three-decade-long wait for a trophy, writes Nick Mashiter
A decade ago, Villa were contemplating Championship football after relegation

Awesome night in Istanbul. Extra special to be watching it with the 1982 legends who were amongst the fans. UTV.Jane, South West LondonImage source,Jane Dadswell80Share
‘Villa could be in the top four for a long time’published at 11:18 BST11:18 BSTFreiburg 0-3 Aston VillaBrad Friedel
Ex-Aston Villa on BBC Radio 5 LiveIf Aston Villa can have two more seasons in the Champions League, that will increase their revenue again and they will be able to improve their squad even further.The trick for them now is holding on to everyone if they can and building from there. If they can do that, they will be one of the teams who can be in the top four places for a long time308Share
Villa win the League Cuppublished at 11:13 BST11:13 BSTAston VillaImage source,Getty ImagesBefore their Europa League triumph yesterday, Aston Villa’s trophy came in March 1996 in the League Cup.Villa cruised to a 3-0 victory against Leeds United at Wembley with over 77,000 fans in attendance.Savo Milosevic scored after 20 minutes, Ian Taylor made it 2-0 in the 55th minute and Dwight Yorke’s 88th minute finish secured a fifth League Cup.At long last, Villa fans have another trophy to celebrate.371Share
Postpublished at 11:08 BST11:08 BSTFreiburg 0-3 Aston VillaNick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter in IstanbulIstanbul airport is a big place but it is hard not to turn around and see Villa fans.Many will not have gone to bed after the game finished around midnight local time before the celebrations at Besiktas Park which lasted nearly an hour.Those of us who were working left the stadium close to 3am.Supporters who were on the early morning flight back to Birmingham will be able to continue celebrating at the parade this afternoon but the majority will still be travelling.Not that it will matter too much to them, they witnessed history in Turkey and the result and trophy now can now stand alongside the European Cup win of 1982.231Share
Postpublished at 11:04 BST11:04 BSTFreiburg 0-3 Aston VillaBBC Radio 5 LiveFormer Aston Villa forward Gary Thompson spoke to 5 Live breakfast: “Unai Emery turned up three-and-a-half years ago and talked about competing in Europe. We said ‘hang on, let’s make sure we stay in the division'”Once the second and third goal went in, most of the Villa fans were thinking about the Holte Enders in the sky; the Villa fans who cannot be with us who gave us the mantle to go and support Villa, and the new generation have something else to talk about now. We have been banging on about 1982 for a long time, they have got their own memories.”It was quite an emotional moment. When the third goal went in, a lot of us were thinking ‘we can push on again, this club is now moving in the right direction'”501Share
‘When we were 16th, nobody would believe we’d win the Europa League’published at 11:00 BST11:00 BSTFreiburg 0-3 Aston VillaAshley Young
Former Aston Villa winger on BBC Radio 5 LiveEmery is a winner. He is a born winner, especially in this competition when he has shown it time and time and time again. Put his name up there alongside Ancelotti and Mourinho.He’s put this club back into Europe, back into the Champions League. If you had said when we were in 16th position [in the Premier League] that he would come in and win the Europa league, not one player would think that would be true. He’s just got a way.612Share
‘I think the goalkeeper was in the Holte End when he caught it’published at 10:57 BST10:57 BSTFreiburg 0-3 Aston VillaOf course, it could all have been so different had it not been for this infamous Hawk-Eye error in June 2020.The operator of the Premier League’s goal-line technology system later apologised after a mistake denied Sheffield United a clear goal during a 0-0 draw at Villa Park.Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland carried Oliver Norwood’s 42nd-minute free-kick over the line, but referee Michael Oliver did not receive the signal to award the goal.“I think the goalkeeper was in the Holte End when he caught it,” said Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder.Hawk-Eye said it “unreservedly apologises” and acknowledged that the ball had crossed the line.The company added that it was the first time such an error had occurred in more than 9,000 matches using the system.Villa would go on to finish the season one point above the relegation zone. Fine margins, indeed.Image source,Getty Images2162Share
Back in 2019…published at 10:49 BST10:49 BSTAston VillaImage source,Getty ImagesAlmost seven years to the day, on 27 May 2019, Aston Villa beat Derby County 2-1 at Wembley to win the Championship play-off final as they were promoted to the Premier League after three years in second tier.Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn netted Villa’s goals.Fancy a blast from the past?Here is the Aston Villa team from that day:Aston Villa XI: Steer, Elmohamady, Tuanzebe, Mings, Taylor, Hourihane, McGinn, Grealish (c), Adomah, El Ghazi, Abraham.Subs: Kalinic, Hause, Jedinak, Whelan, Lansbury, Green, Kodjia.While most have moved on to pastures new, John McGinn remains and is now Aston Villa’s captain, while defender Tyrone Mings is also still at the club.Tammy Abraham, who had a successful loan spell during the 2018-19 season, rejoined Aston Villa in January 2026 – arriving on a permanent basis from Turkish side Besiktas.372Share
From Rotherham to Rotterdam: Villa’s long road to Europa League glory Pt2published at 10:44 BST10:44 BSTFreiburg 0-3 Aston Villa
- November 2022 – Unai Emery is appointed manager and says it is his “dream” to win a trophy with the club
- May 2023 – Emery takes Villa from relegation trouble to Conference League qualification
- May 2024 – Despite losing in the Conference League semi-finals, Villa secure a return to Europe by finishing in the Premier League’s top four
- October 2024 – Jhon Duran’s late strike earns a historic 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in Villa’s first home match in Champions League since their return
- April 2025 – Eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain
- May 2025 – A controversial 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on the final day of the season sees Villa miss out on Champions League qualification
- January 2026 – Win seven of eight matches to finish second in the Europa League league phase
- May 2026 – Beat Liverpool 4-2 in their final home match of the season to secure a return to the Champions League
- May 2026 – Beat Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win a first European trophy since 1982
Image source,Getty Images643Share
From Rotherham to Rotterdam: Villa’s long road to Europa League glorypublished at 10:36 BST10:36 BSTFreiburg 0-3 Aston Villa
- April 2016 – Finish bottom of the Premier League and are relegated to the Championship
- May 2017 – First season in the second tier since 1987 ends with a bottom-half finish
- May 2018 – Lose the Championship play-off final 1-0 to Fulham after finishing fourth in the league
- May 2019 – Seal a return to the Premier League after three seasons in the Championship by beating Derby County 2-1
- July 2020 – A four-game unbeaten run secures Premier League survival on the final day of the season
- August 2021 – Manchester City sign Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish for a British-record £100m
- November 2021 – Long-serving manager Dean Smith is sacked and replaced by Steven Gerrard after seven defeats in the opening 11 league games
- October 2022 – Gerrard is dismissed after less than a year in charge, with Villa hovering above the relegation zone
Image source,Getty Images464