Aston Villa ended a three-decade wait for silverware with a comprehensive victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final at the Besiktas Stadium. Goals from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers secured the triumph, with Tielemans’ strike from a corner proving pivotal in breaking the deadlock.
Ollie Watkins, who played a key role in the build-up, revealed that manager Unai Emery’s unusually calm demeanour in the lead-up to the match helped settle the squad. “He was really calm today in the build up,” Watkins said. “Sometimes in league games he's anxious because he wants to get the win, but today he was calm and that set the tone for us boys.”
Captain John McGinn echoed the sentiment, adding, “With this manager in charge, anything is possible.” Emery, a seasoned winner in the competition, claimed his fifth Europa League title, reinforcing his reputation as a specialist in the tournament.
Watkins highlighted the importance of set-pieces, crediting set-piece coach Austin MacPhee for his courage in leaving four players up during corners. “Until then it was a bit cagey, they were going man for man. Fair play to Austin for having the courage,” he told TNT Sports. “To perform like that was unbelievable. I felt like we really controlled the game and we punished them in the end.”
The striker reflected on the achievement, describing it as “an unbelievable experience” and “what you dream of.” He added, “Sometimes you have ups and downs but we pulled through in the end, we pushed on, we got Champions League football. It's so special. All of these fans - it's indescribable.”
