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After a 41-year absence from Europe’s elite club competition, Aston Villa have made a triumphant return – and in impressive fashion.
On a night when Villa supporters honored the late club legend Gary Shaw, Unai Emery’s side put on a display that Shaw and his fellow 1982 European Cup champions would have been proud of, securing a 3-0 victory over Swiss champions Young Boys in Bern.
Goals from Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey, and Amadou Onana sealed a comfortable win for the visitors, who could have won by an even larger margin had efforts from Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran not been ruled out by VAR.
This result marks another key milestone in Villa’s remarkable transformation under Emery. The Spanish coach has now won 89 European matches since 2009-10, a record only surpassed by Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
“He’s an absolute genius,” former Villa defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live. “In the Champions League, you need a manager who can adapt, understands tactics, and can make quick adjustments. It’s worked out brilliantly for him and for Aston Villa. He’s outstanding.”
Though Villa took some time to adjust to the artificial pitch at Stadion Wankdorf, once Tielemans gave them the lead, they never looked back. They now eagerly anticipate hosting German giants Bayern Munich at Villa Park next month, in a rematch of the 1982 final they famously won.
“This has been my dream for so long”
Emery, who guided Villa to the Europa Conference League semi-finals last season, dedicated Tuesday’s win to Shaw, who passed away on Monday following injuries from a severe fall.
“We [picked up in] the Champions League where they left off 42 years ago,” Emery told TNT Sports. “This win is for Gary Shaw and his family.”
“It was a tough match. Our experience from last year [in the Europa Conference League] helped. We stayed focused for the full 90 minutes, adapting to the pitch and always showing respect [to our opponents].”
In less than two years, Emery has taken Villa from 16th place in the Premier League to the Champions League’s revamped group phase — a transformation few saw coming when he replaced Steven Gerrard in November 2022.
“For me, this has been a dream for such a long time,” said Villa fan Paul, who traveled to Bern with fellow supporters Tony and Scott to witness Villa’s long-awaited return to Europe’s biggest stage. “We came without tickets and had a bit of a party.”
Tony, meanwhile, believes Emery’s side has a real shot at progressing to the last 16 of the tournament, which begins in March next year.
“If you can get 10 or 11 points from your games, you have a good chance of going through,” he said. “Villa are growing. We’re back where we belong.”
