Aston Villa strolled to a 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday, ending the club’s 30-year trophy drought.
Youri Tielemans put Villa ahead in the 41st minute with an excellent volley and Emiliano Buendia scored a brilliant strike from outside the penalty area just before half-time. Morgan Rogers scored a third goal as Villa dominated in their first major European final in 44 years to secure manager Unai Emery’s record-extending fifth Europa League title.
When was the last time Aston Villa won 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 top-flight match, with goals from 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 scored the winner in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich in a 1-0 victory for the England side.
In the European Super Cup, Villa played against Barcelona over two legs. Marcos Alonso helped Barca win the first leg 1-0, while Gary Shaw’s goal in the second leg forced extra time. Gordon Cowans and Ken McNaught scored for Villa in extra time to help their side win the title.
Published on May 21, 2026
