Villa end 30-year wait with European glory

Aston Villa ended three decades without silverware by sweeping aside Freiburg 3-0 in a commanding Europa League final performance in Istanbul. Youri Tielemans opened the scoring with a thunderous first‑half volley, before Emiliano Buendia doubled the lead moments later with a superb curling strike. Morgan Rogers sealed the triumph after the interval, completing a dominant display that delivered Villa’s first major European trophy since their 1982 European Cup triumph.

With club legends Peter Withe and Dennis Mortimer watching from the stands, Unai Emery’s side honoured their predecessors by wearing white shirts, echoing the colours used in that famous win over Bayern Munich. The victory capped a remarkable resurgence under Emery, who has now lifted the Europa League five times. It also crowned a season that began poorly but ended with Champions League qualification and a relentless European run, culminating in a night that finally erased years of frustration for Villa supporters.