Aston Villa strolled to a 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday to end the club’s 30-year trophy drought.
Youri Tielemans fired Villa ahead with an exquisite volley on 41 minutes and Emiliano Buendia curled in a superb strike from outside the box before half-time. Morgan Rogers stabbed in a third goal as Villa dominated in its first major European final for 44 years to secure manager Unai Emery his record-extending fifth Europa League title.
When did Aston Villa last win a major trophy?
Before the Europa League title, Aston Villa’s last major trophy was the English League Cup in 1996. Villa beat Leeds United 3-0 in the summit clash, with goals Savo Milošević, Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke.
In Europe, Villa’s last trophy before 2026 was the European Cup and the European Super Cup in 1982.
Peter Withe netted the winner in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich in a 1-0 victory for the English side.
In the European Super Cup, Villa played Barcelona over two legs. Marcos Alonso helped Barca win the first leg 1-0, while Gary Shaw’s goal in the return leg forced extra-time. Gordon Cowans and Ken McNaught scored for Villa in extra time to help their side clinch the title.
Published on May 21, 2026