Aston Villa

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Aston Villa fans won't have to wait long to celebrate their Europa League success.

There will be an open-top bus victory parade through Birmingham city centre later today.

The parade will begin on Branston Street in the Jewellery Quarter at approximately 4.30pm and cover a route of approximately 4.5km, taking in Sand Pits, Broad Street and Centenary Square. It is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes.

Screens will be positioned at intervals throughout the route and there will be three open-top buses, with a claret bus carrying the players.

For those still in Istanbul and unable to attend, the parade will be broadcast live on VillaTV, as well as on YouTube and across the club’s social media channels.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Aston Villa fan Simon, who was in Istanbul for the match, spoke to 5 Live breakfast: "The atmosphere was absolutely incredible.

"From the first minute you could tell that Villa were up for it and Unai Emery had got his team absolutely drilled in to the game. Within the first 10 minutes you could tell if we were going to play well or not. It was brilliant and the goals were outstanding.

"I am 33 years-old so I was too young to remember when we won the league cup in 1996. It was a first for me and an absolutely incredible moment.

"I made a rule to myself yesterday; I didn't want to drink too much during the day so I could savour the atmosphere and I wanted to remember it. That's exactly what I did and it was a pinch-me moment.

"It was up there with one of the best days of my life."

Prince William
Prince of Wales

Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!

Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success.

UTV! ❤️ VTID

W

Prince William was in Istanbul to watch his beloved Aston Villa last night, and it’s fair to say he went through every emotion possible as he watched his team win their first major trophy in 30 years.

The Prince of Wales was only a teenager when Villa beat Leeds United in the 1996 League Cup final at Wembley…

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to TNT Sports about Emi Buendia's goal:

"We play the first 30 minutes more or less trying to get emotionally how it was going the match. Then we started to push more. After we scored the players were feeling better than at the start of the match because we needed to test a little bit how we were. And then the quality. Without the skills, the quality, it is impossible to win."

"[He is] very competitive. Even when I substituted him at 80 minutes, he was angry. Two days ago he didn't train. I spoke with him this morning, 'Are you ok? Are you 100%? Yes? Then play'. When I changed him he was angry. It's his competitive way. I understand it."

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to TNT Sports about his side's opening goal:

"Austin [MacPhee] is a really fantastic creator. We must be so so demanding in our details. Austin is fantastic. Everything we are working on makes sense. The hours in each training session each day to try to get as best as possible our challenges in set pieces. When we are scoring like that of course we are proud of what we're doing.

"We are practicing it. Austin I believe a lot in set pieces. You can win a lot of matches through it. Congratulations to Austin for how he does his job. We are sharing everything, our experiences. But he is the creator for this action."

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After a cagey opening 40 minutes, a wonder strike from Youri Tielemans broke the deadlock last night.

It was another sublime set-piece routine from Villa, orchestrated by set-piece coach Austin MacPhee.

Let’s hear what Unai Emery had to say about it...

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Aston Villa captain John McGinn speaking to TNT Sports following his side's Europa League win:

"I can't believe it to be honest. What we've been through as a club, this club is close to being in a right bad way seven years ago. When V Sports bought the club over, their one remit was to get it back to the Premier League and back to the levels of before.

"Tonight was everything we built coming together. The pride I felt with 10 minutes to go knowing we were about to be champions - I cant describe it."

On how the game went:

"We started well. I'm biased, but we have a great set piece coach in Austin MacPhee. We tried to deceive a bit with the set piece. We did it against liverpool at the weekend. Youri [Tielemans] has great quality to find the goal. It'd have been over the bar if it were me!"

On what it means to win the trophy:

"It means a lot. As a kid growing up I remember Celtic in 2003. It wasn't a great night for them but it was special. I was lucky enough to go the final at Hampden in 2007. To be here, in 2026, as captain of Aston Villa is incredible. It's the proudest night of my career.

"I'll try to enjoy it. I like to party but I'll take it easy to try and soak it all in."

"Being 31, in my first European final, I've seen my mates [Jack] Grealish and [Andy] Robertson win. It's my turn. It's so special, I'll cherish every minute."

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Let’s delve into some of the post-match reaction from the Vodafone Arena last night, shall we?

We’ve got reaction from Villa captain John McGinn, manager Unai Emery, and even Prince William.

Grab yourself a brew and we’ll get straight into it.

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In response to our question a little earlier, Unai Emery has now won FIVE European finals.

After winning the Europa League for the first time with Sevilla in 2014, the Spaniard successfully defended the trophy in 2015 and 2016, with the latter victory coming against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

In 2021, the 54-year-old lifted the famous trophy for a fourth time as his Villarreal side beat Manchester United on penalties.

Five years on, Emery’s triumph against Bundesliga side Freiburg means he has become only the second manager - after Carlo Ancelotti - to win a major European trophy five times.

After joining such esteemed company, does Emery deserve a statue at Villa Park?

Villa fans, let us know your thoughts…

Has there ever been a manager with a greater affinity for a competition than Unai Emery and the Europa League?

The Spaniard - who took over at Villa Park in late 2022 - has made a habit of winning the competition at seemingly every club he manages.

But the question is, how many European finals has Emery won now, excluding Super Cups? And can you name his previous Europa League triumphs?

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By winning the Europa League last night, Unai Emery’s side have become the first Aston Villa team in 30 years to lift a major trophy.

The last time the Villa Park club secured top-level silverware was in 1996, when they beat Leeds United 3-0 in the League Cup final at Wembley.

But perhaps more significantly, it is Villa’s first European trophy since 1982.

They will have a chance to add another European trophy to their collection when they face either Arsenal or Paris St-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final in August.

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Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at Besiktas Park

Where now for Aston Villa?

It is a watershed moment for the club after ending a three-decade long wait for a trophy.

Unai Emery has overseen a momentous change for the club who, 10 years ago, were relegated from the Premier League for the first time.

But, with a European title and a second Champions League qualification in three seasons, this is a different club.

Villa will now be able to show signings the evidence that, if they join, they can win trophies. They are a regular top-five challenger and have now got over the line with silverware.

That is something Emery promised he was at Villa to do, and the challenge the former Arsenal and Paris St Germain boss has is to maintain it.

Emery will not just want to do that, though, he will look to improve on it, and Villa must match his ambitions as well.

The 54-year-old has such control at the club, something which he will not get elsewhere, and that approach has proven perfect for Villa and Emery.

They can still achieve success together and it could be just the start.

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Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at Besiktas Park

Dominant Aston Villa dispatched Freiburg to win the Europa League and end a 30-year trophy drought.

First-half stunners from Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia gave Villa control before Morgan Rogers' strike sealed a second major European title 44 years after they won the European Cup.

Nine of that team from 1982 were at Besiktas Park in Istanbul to watch Unai Emery win his fifth Europa League.

Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in November 2022 with Villa three points above the relegation zone and has transformed them into top five contenders and, now, a European champion.

Villa supporter Prince William celebrated at the final whistle as Villa won major silverware for the first time since the 1996 League Cup.

Noah Atubolu kept an early Morgan Rogers drive out and Nicolas Hofler - in his final game before retirement - fired wide, but then Villa took over.

Tielemans - who scored the winner for Leicester in the 2021 FA Cup final - brilliantly volleyed in to cap a short corner routine four minutes before the break.

Buendia added a stunning second in first-half stoppage time, curling beyond Atubolu from 18-yards to leave Bundesliga side Freiburg with no way back.

Rogers added a third just before the hour, poking in Buendia's near-post cross, to underline Villa's superiority.

Good morning and welcome to Thursday's live page.

We'll be reacting to Aston Villa's stunning Europa League triumph against Freiburg in Istanbul last night, bringing you all the reaction and analysis from the city, as well as looking ahead to the trophy parade in Birmingham city centre later today.

First things first - how are the heads, Villa fans?

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