‘We are the king together’ – Unai Emery hopes Europa League win just the start

Following a hard-fought first period, it took a moment of brilliance for Villa to make the breakthrough when Youri Tielemans volleyed in from Morgan Rogers’ cross after a smart short corner routine four minutes before the break.

The Premier League side doubled their advantage with another piece of magic in first-half stoppage time, this time Emi Buendia bent in from outside the box before Rogers finished the job in the second half to help Villa pick up a first trophy in 30 years.

Emery has taken Villa from fighting for top flight survival to European champions since taking the job in November 2022, and he added a trophy to his ever-growing glittering Villa career which rubber stamped his place in the club’s legacy.

And the Spaniard hopes it is the first of many.

He said: “Of course the ambition of the club is important and how we did the process and we are of course in this process makes sense.

“With this trophy we are showing our development as well.

“My dream when I arrived here was play in Europe, play for a trophies. This is the first one we are achieving, we played a semi final before and the experiences we are having like today is important with how we can get better.

“It makes sense with this club because after 1982 this club won the European Cup. Achieving this one that makes us so happy and proud of the way we are working but we are not going to stop.”

Emery played down his ‘king’ status of the competition prior to the match but few would be able to argue against him taking that title after adding a fifth European crown to his haul.

Despite adding another continental trophy to his collection, he still feels he is not the “king” of the competition.

Emery added: “I am really proud for the grateful for competing in Europe, and through the clubs, supporters, and history like Villarreal and Sevilla, I am thankful for them.

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“Because without them I am not being successful in this competition. This is the reason I am not feeling the king of this competition, I am feeling thankful.

“We are the king together, and of course, I have my responsibility as a coach to get it.”

Villa ran out emphatic winners in the end as they brushed Freiburg aside with three goals.

But, Emery says he never thought his side were favourites for the tie.

He added: “To win is difficult and to play a final is very difficult. How they beat teams before in the semi-final, they deserved to be here.

“They are a good team with a good coach. The teams are here because they deserve it. In the hotel we were speaking, we did not think we were favourites for this.”