Aston Villa ended their long wait for silverware after beating Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday. The win gave Villa their first major trophy in 30 years and also brought another big achievement for manager Unai Emery.
Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia scored superb goals as Villa controlled the game in Istanbul. Morgan Rogers later added a third goal to complete a comfortable win.
The result also gave Emery his fifth Europa League title. It was another special moment in his successful career in European football.
Villa had not won a major trophy since lifting the English League Cup in 1996. Their last success in Europe came in 1982 when they won the European Cup after beating Bayern Munich in the final.
Premier League clubs also kept their recent strong run in Europe alive. Tottenham Hotspur won last season, and now Villa added another title for England.
Tielemans said he felt proud after the victory. He praised the team’s effort and said the players worked hard all season.
He said the team had only one day to prepare for some of their plans, but everything worked well on the night.
He also said Villa had a difficult season with many ups and downs. He praised the players and coaching staff for staying together and continuing to fight.
Villa took the lead in the 41st minute. Rogers sent a floated ball from a short corner and Tielemans met it with a low shot that flew into the net.
Villa struck again just before halftime. Freiburg gave Buendia too much space near the edge of the box and he curled a left foot shot into the far corner.
Rogers then got his name on the scoresheet in the 58th minute. Buendia turned provider this time and sent a low cross into the box. Rogers finished from close range to make it 3-0.
Emery also moved level with Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Giovanni Trapattoni with five European trophies.
