Aston Villa ended their 30-year wait for silverware with a commanding 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final, a triumph that Morgan Rogers believes will etch the club into football history.
Match Overview
Youri Tielemans opened the scoring with an exquisite volley, before Emiliano Buendia doubled Villa's advantage with a stunning curling effort in first-half stoppage time. Rogers added a third shortly before the hour mark in Istanbul, securing the club's first trophy since the 1996 League Cup and their first European title since the 1982 European Cup.
Player Reactions
Rogers, speaking to TNT Sports, said: "It is hard to put into words. We have worked so hard for this. We knew we had one more game and we all delivered. It is a great moment for the fans, the club, and it will go down in history."
Ollie Watkins added: "To perform like that was unbelievable. We controlled the game and punished them. It is what you dream of. Unai was really calm today, which set the tone."
Ezri Konsa paid tribute to the supporters: "I don't think it has sunk in yet. To finally bring back some silverware is amazing. To the fans who have been through thick and thin, this is for them."
Manager and Captain
The victory marked a fifth Europa League triumph for manager Unai Emery, who is set to guide Villa to a fourth-placed Premier League finish. Captain John McGinn revealed that the Prince of Wales visited the dressing room before the match, calling him "a classy guy" and a massive Villa fan.
