Unai Emery is Aston Villa manager
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery may not believe his team are Premier League title contenders – but he is “dreaming” of Europa League glory after reaching the last 16.
Villa defeated Fenerbahce 1-0 in Turkey to ensure a top-eight league-phase finish with a game to spare.
On Sunday, the Spaniard warned Villa are “not top-five contenders” after they lost 1-0 at home to Everton.
Should Villa finish outside the Premier League’s top four – or top five if England is awarded an extra qualifying berth – their only hope of Champions League football next season will be through winning the Europa League.
Former Seville, Arsenal and Paris St-Germain boss Emery has won the Europa League a record four times as manager, last doing so with Villarreal in 2021, and was managing his 100th game in the competition on Thursday.
He told the media “we have clear objectives in this competition to be a contender for a trophy” after his side’s victory in Istanbul.
“[We want] To be a contender in case we need this trophy to play in the Champions League. Through our league [it] is very difficult,” he added.
“I am dreaming to be here getting trophies and the Europa is one objective we have this year.”
Despite being the seventh-most successful club in English football by trophies won, Villa’s last piece of major silverware was the League Cup in 1996.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery may not believe his team are Premier League title contenders – but he is “dreaming” of Europa League glory after reaching the last 16.
Villa defeated Fenerbahce 1-0 in Turkey to ensure a top-eight league-phase finish with a game to spare.
On Sunday, the Spaniard warned Villa are “not top-five contenders” after they lost 1-0 at home to Everton.
Should Villa finish outside the Premier League’s top four – or top five if England is awarded an extra qualifying berth – their only hope of Champions League football next season will be through winning the Europa League.
Former Seville, Arsenal and Paris St-Germain boss Emery has won the Europa League a record four times as manager, last doing so with Villarreal in 2021, and was managing his 100th game in the competition on Thursday.
He told the media, “We have clear objectives in this competition to be a contender for a trophy”, after his side’s victory in Istanbul.
“[We want] to be a contender in case we need this trophy to play in the Champions League. Through our league, it is challenging,” he added.
“I am dreaming of being here getting trophies, and the Europa is one objective we have this year.”
Despite being the seventh-most successful club in English football by trophies won, Villa’s last piece of major silverware was the League Cup in 1996.
