Unai Emery believes Aston Villa’s triumph in the Europa League final is confirmation of how the club is progressing.
Villa claimed their first major trophy since 1996 on Wednesday as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Freiburg in Istanbul.
Youri Tielemans’ volley from a superbly worked corner routine broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, before a sensational curling effort from Emi Buendia put them in command with the final kick of the first half.
Morgan Rogers made it 3-0 a couple of minutes before the hour mark, ending any slim prospect of a Freiburg comeback and effectively clinching Villa’s first European trophy for 44 years.
Emery hails ‘important’ step for Aston Villa
Villa had previously fallen short in the semi-final of the Conference League and the quarter-finals of last season’s Champions League.
And Emery hailed Villa’s achievement in going all the way in a competition he has now won five times as an important step in the club’s journey.
“We are always here talking about our experiences. We try to use our experiences here,” Emery told TNT Sports. “We play semi-final, we play quarter-final in Europe, Conference and Champions League.
“This final is confirmation of how we are progressing. It is very important for them.
“Of course it is important for the supporters, they are travelling with us all the season, doing a huge effort to be with us and transmitting us the energy. We must try as well to be proud of everything we are doing with our supporters.
“And of course as well how this club won the [European Cup] title in 1982. And again competing for a title in Europe is something which makes sense of everything we are doing.”
“We are getting stronger. Development in everything. The club is working to extend the stadium by 10,000 people more. We are building and changing a little bit the training centre.
“We are trying to be demanding, playing in Europe, next year we are going to be in Champions League. It makes sense how we are getting this development with players, extending the contracts. But always it’s important that we must be so so demanding in our process, in our project. Because the project can only make sense if we are winning.”
Asked about Villa becoming a ‘destination’ for players rather than a stepping stone to other more traditional heavyweights, Emery said: “Of course [that is part of the plan]. We are improving. We are playing finals. We are winning trophies. I think the brand as well is increasing. This we need as well. To try to improve in all the things. The brand is very important. And how football watches us. As a team, ambitious and improving. This is our next step.
“I am myself ambitious and of course I need support. The owners, everyone that works in the club. The players, and they are following us. We are doing it together. But we must try to set this ambition, being clear and realistic. Every step forward we are doing makes sense.
“Next year we will play in Champions League and this is the challenge. The Premier League is the most difficult league in the world. To be fighting top seven, top five, top four is something very difficult. Hopefully we can be close with teams like City and Arsenal. Congratulations to them for this title.
“It’s a huge challenge we have in Premier League. Why? In the beginning we are not contenders for top seven. There are top seven teams. Top six, and Newcastle is the seventh. And we are trying to get there. To try to be consistent there. We are achieving it. But of course to keep it is our challenge. And then, being there we are in Europe.
“And getting this trophy we are adding experiences for us. And those experiences for the players are important. Because as well we can play next year trying as well to be in contention for trophies.
“Last year with the FA Cup and Champions League semis and quarter finals, we lost – experience for us. But we lost this match because we deserved it, because we didn’t deserve more against Crystal Palace. Today, I was ready to win, I was ready to lose. Experience for us. Of course, winning is better.”
