Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter in Istanbul

Istanbul 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.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former 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'"

Ashley Young
Former Aston Villa winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Emery 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.

Of 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 Images

Aston Villa

Image source, Getty Images

Almost 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.

• 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 Images

• 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 Images

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport

You're right, Paul. It has been a long time coming for Aston Villa.

It’s worth remembering the journey they’ve been on since being relegated from the Premier League a decade ago.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane…

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter in Istanbul

A decade ago Villa were contemplating Championship football after relegation from the Premier League.

The club was on the brink of administration before Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris bought a controlling stake in 2018.

A year later Dean Smith took them back to the Premier League via the play-offs before consolidating in the top flight.

That position looked in doubt under Steven Gerrard but Unai Emery has taken the club to new heights.

Villa have backed Emery, allowing him a huge degree of control he would not be afforded at other clubs, and their patience and trust has paid off spectacularly.

He has turned players who signed from the Championship - like Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Matty Cash - into Champions League players and internationals.

There are likely to be several departures this summer as Villa revamp the squad but Emery has the backing to maintain Villa's trajectory.

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

John McGinn said ahead of the game it was always going to be the proudest moment of his Villa career, but he was part of the Villa squad just seven years ago, that had got promoted to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs. In fact, he scored the winning goal against Derby in 2019. There was only him, Tammy Abraham, who's in his second spell at Villa, and Tyrone Mings who were part of that squad, so they've come a long way in those seven years.

McGinn was saying that was for the fans, because during that season they'd gone to places like Rotherham, Bolton and Wigan, and the supporters had backed them, but there was also a feeling within the group that they had to get this trophy, they had to get something for the progress they'd made.

Mark Chapman
Presenter on BBC 5 Live

It really couldn't have been a more perfect evening could it? Three of their most impressive performers this season in Tielemans, Buendia and Rogers scoring the goals and then a man who has become 'Mr Aston Villa' McGinn lifting the trophy at the end of it.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former Aston Villa forward Gary Thompson spoke to 5 Live breakfast: "When John McGinn first walked in to the club, we thought he was technically decent. He was okay, but he has just got better and better and is now our talisman.

"We lost Tielemans, Kamara and McGinn. The one who came back, the one we needed, was McGinn for his fire, desire, and drive to take the team forward.

"We cannot allow this man to leave this football club. He should end up on the coaching staff. He is a part of Villa and epitomises everything about this club."

Image source, Getty Images

Ashley Young
Former Aston Villa winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

I'm so proud of Ginny [McGinn] picking up that trophy. What he has done for Aston Villa, what he gives to that club is phenomenal. Day in and day out, he is literally 'Mr Aston Villa'. It is so good to see him lift the trophy.

Image source, Getty Images

Owen Hargreaves
Former Manchester United midfielder on TNT Sports

To be fair, John McGinn's statue might be next to Emery's

The way he's developed since he's been there has been nothing short of remarkable.

He's so reliable, so consistent. He pops up with big goals. He's so humble.

He's what you want your captain to be.

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Not yet, say Neil and Jack...

But what about one of your current players?

I'll give you a clue who, he does a celebration with his hands that I still haven't figured out years later...