Aston Villa Ends 30-Year Trophy Drought with Europa League Victory

It was 1:43 a.m. in Istanbul when Aston Villa’s players began heading to their hotel across from Besiktas Park. Matty Cash, holding a bottle of Efes, toasted the Europa League victory that ended the club’s 30-year trophy drought. “The king set the gameplan out for us,” he said of manager Unai Emery, who now holds god-like status among fans.

Moments earlier, John McGinn joked that Prince William, who joined players for beers after the match, might “get his credit card out” to cover the bar tab. Villa’s billionaire co-owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens were also present. “It means a lot,” Sawiris said, wearing a Villa scarf. “I can’t express myself with words. Amazing. Very special. An eight-year ride and we saw today what hard work can do with Unai’s effort and the whole team.” Asked about future ambitions, he replied: “The sky’s the limit.”

Emery had spent three and a half years walking past the European Cup at Villa’s training base, a reminder of the club’s 1982 triumph. Nigel Spink, a hero from that victory, said it was time for the trophy to move along the mantelpiece. Villa outclassed Bundesliga side Freiburg in Wednesday’s final and flew back Thursday morning for an open-top bus parade celebrating Emery’s fifth Europa League title. The Istanbul party lasted until after 7 a.m., with speeches from Emery and McGinn and Prince William accompanied by minimal security.

Villa’s players savored the moment. Morgan Rogers, who scored the third goal, headed for the team bus wearing ski goggles. Jadon Sancho blasted music from a speaker, while Leon Bailey, Amadou Onana, Lamare Bogarde and Ian Maatsen followed in a conga line as they exited the stadium.

For Ollie Watkins, who has scored double-digit goals for six straight seasons, this was his first winner’s medal after near misses with club and country. “I’m not going to get too carried away,” he said, partly because he had to complete UEFA’s mandatory doping test after the final. “I want to remember it. I’ll party, but I want to cherish the moment. It has been so long since we won a trophy and this tops the season off.”

Watkins is part of a Villa core that has experienced a rollercoaster. The club avoided relegation by one point in 2020, a year after securing promotion via playoffs amid financial crisis. Six of Wednesday’s starters were in Emery’s first Villa lineup in November 2022; 11 players from that squad celebrated in Istanbul. “This club was close to being in a right bad way seven years ago,” McGinn said. “Tonight was everything we built coming together. The pride I felt with 10 minutes to go knowing we were about to be champions … I can’t describe it.”

Villa’s squad is expected to evolve this summer. With a Champions League berth secured, the club aims to sign elite talent, potentially from rivals, to reach the next level. However, financial regulations remain a balancing act for teams with high wage bills and limited revenue. Villa has been unafraid to trade, and players like Rogers have many admirers. The future of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who broke a finger in warmup, is uncertain.

Those concerns can wait. Villa’s players wore special-edition shirts with the date and opponent inscribed. Martínez lifted Emery onto his shoulders. Former player Ian Taylor, part of Villa’s last trophy-winning team in 1996, erupted with joy. Prince William, seated behind former defender Ahmed Elmohamady, gave his royal approval. Toward the end of the on-pitch celebrations, McGinn practiced knee slides with his nephews.

“When we were on the way to the stadium, we went past loads of Villa fans: ‘Wow’ … that’s when it hit,” Cash said. “In the hotel you’re relaxing, thinking: ‘Right, try and stay calm.’ My friends were out on the razz all day getting drunk, talking about how excited they are and I’m in bed: ‘I need to focus here, I’ve got a final to play.’ Driving into the stadium, the fans were incredible; they deserve it so much.”

“Ginny [McGinn] spoke about how they went to Rotherham away, Wigan [in the Championship] … they’ve seen the club at its lowest, they have seen the highs. The parade, we’re all going to enjoy it.” Asked if he would get any sleep, Cash replied: “Naaaah. I’m going to party for the next however long, the next couple of days.”