Europa League: Aston Villa clinch title to end 30-year trophy drought

Villa secured a first major ‌title since they lifted English League ​Cup in 1996, and their first win in continental competition since they were European Cup champions in 1982.

Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia scored stunning goals as Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final in Istanbul ⁠to end a 30-year wait for silverware and earn their coach Unai Emery a record-extending fifth win in ⁠the competition.

Morgan Rogers added a third as Villa secured a first major ‌trophy since they lifted the English League ​Cup in 1996, and their first victory in continental competition since they were European Cup champions in 1982 after defeating Bayern Munich in the final.

Back-to-back wins in the Europa League for Premier League clubs after Tottenham Hotspur were victors last season kept alive a rare continental hat-trick with Arsenal in the final of ​the Champions League and Crystal Palace ⁠to play in the Conference League decider.

"I feel amazing," Tielemans told TNT. "We put in a shift, top performance, we had a great season, and to top it off with this, it's amazing.

"We only had one day to practise, we did it on Monday, and it worked ⁠brilliantly tonight.

"It's been a ‌season with a lot of ups and downs. We started so so bad, our standards were very very poor but the way we turned things around ‌was great, credit to the players, credit to the staff, we just kept working, kept believing, and we got the ⁠win in the end, Champions League next season and a trophy."

Villa took the lead on 41 minutes with a superb strike from Tielemans after ‌Rogers’ floated cross from a short corner was latched onto by the unmarked ‌Belgian and his low volley arrowed into the net.

It was 2-0 seconds before halftime ‌through another stunning goal, this time from Buendia. Freiburg allowed Villa too much space on ‌the edge of their box and the Argentine playmaker curled a left-foot shot into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Noah Atubolu with no chance.

Rogers added the third on 58 minutes when Buendia turned provider as his low cross into ⁠the six-yard box ⁠from the left was stabbed home at the near post.

Villa manager Emery kept up his remarkable record in the competition with a fifth victory, three with Sevilla, one with Villarreal and now with Villa.

He moved level with record-holders Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Giovanni Trapattoni on five European trophies.

The Europa League triumph underlined Villa's impressive renaissance since Emery took charge in October 2022 with the club languishing just three points above the relegation zone.

Relegated to the second tier in 1987 and 2016 and beaten in their previous four domestic finals prior to arriving in Istanbul, Villa have endured some torrid times since winning the European Cup.

Those miserable memories were banished forever on an unforgettable night on the banks of the Bosphorus.

(With inputs from agencies)