Aston Villa beat Freiburg 63-0 on Wednesday night to win the UEFA Europa League and end a 30-year wait for major silverware.
First-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia gave Villa control before Morgan Rogers sealed victory in the second half at Tüpraş Stadyumu in Istanbul.
The triumph handed Villa their second major European title, 44 years after they won the European Cup in 1982.
Manager Unai Emery also claimed his fifth Europa League title after transforming Villa since replacing Steven Gerrard in November 2022.
Villa supporters, including Prince William, celebrated wildly at full-time as the club lifted its first major trophy since winning the League Cup in 1996.
Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu denied Rogers early in the game, while Nicolas Hofler fired wide in his final match before retirement.
Villa, however, soon took control of the final.
Tielemans opened the scoring in the 41st minute with a brilliant volley from a short corner routine. Buendía doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time with a curling strike from 18 yards.
Rogers added the third goal just before the hour mark after converting Buendía’s near-post cross.
Villa nearly extended the scoreline further when hit the post, while Buendía missed another clear chance.
Emery Transforms Villa
Emery has overseen a remarkable rise at Villa Park.
When the Spaniard arrived in 2022, Villa sat just above the Premier League relegation zone. Since then, he has turned the club into a regular top-five challenger and now a European champion.
The Europa League triumph also strengthens Villa’s growing reputation ahead of another UEFA Champions League campaign.
What Next?
Villa will wrap up their Premier League season against on Sunday.
