Aston Villa have the chance to break a 44-year drought for major European honours when they take on Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday, with Unai Emery’s team widely viewed as the stronger side ahead of the biggest game in the German club’s history.
Villa’s journey to the showpiece in Istanbul has reinforced their standing, highlighted by a 4-1 aggregate triumph over Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals. They also navigated a demanding knockout schedule, combining attacking variety with careful tactical organisation to reach their first European final since lifting the European Cup in 1982.
Emery, who is a record four-time winner of the competition, has seen his squad blend creativity—featuring players such as Morgan Rogers—with goals from Ollie Watkins to drive them into their first continental final in more than four decades.
Villa, who also won the subsequent European Super Cup, have not claimed a major trophy since winning the League Cup in 1996.
Wednesday’s final will be Emery’s sixth Europa League decider. The former Arsenal boss has previously won the tournament three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, and he has also finished runner-up with the Gunners in a 2019 final against Chelsea.
“I have my own experiences before in this competition and different momentum as well,” said Emery, whose group booked a return to the Champions League for the second time in three years after beating Liverpool 4-2 on Friday.
“But it is completely different. In football, everything you have done before, though it may be fantastic, it’s done. Now it is a new chapter and I want to write a new chapter here.”
Freiburg enter the final as first-time European finalists, carrying confidence after a 4-1 rout of RB Leipzig on Saturday in the Bundesliga. That result pushed them into seventh place and secured a Conference League spot for next season.
However, Freiburg’s coaching staff and players know that a victory on Wednesday would deliver even more than qualification.
A win would guarantee Champions League football for the following season, while also bringing in several million euros in extra income for a club whose wage structure sits toward the lower end of the Bundesliga.
Still, Freiburg face a daunting task, with Villa treated as clear favourites for the title.
“It is football, it is one match, it is a final so anything can happen,” said Freiburg defender Matthias Ginter. “So sometimes an underdog can beat the favourites.”
For years, Freiburg have relied on home-grown talent and coaching stability to stay competitive, develop an entertaining style of football, and do so without the financial muscle of wealthier rivals.
This campaign has seen them go beyond expectations under Julian Schuster, who is now in his second season in charge. Schuster, who only earned his coaching licence in 2024, took over after Christian Streich departed following more than 12 years leading the club.
“I see pressure as something positive because it challenges and motivates me to take on challenges directly and to do everything necessary to successfully complete a task,” Schuster said.
The coach also suggested that the semi-final victory over Portuguese side Braga has strengthened bonds across the city.
“That is precisely the power of football: it can inspire people and bring them together. It’s a wonderful feeling that we are thoroughly enjoying at the moment.”
