Home
+
Published : 20 May 2026, 01:34 AM
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery brushed aside compliments that he is the undisputed "king" of the Europa League on Tuesday, insisting his four past wins count for nothing ahead of Wednesday's final against German side Freiburg.
The Spaniard is heading into a remarkable sixth final as a manager in Europe's second club competition, with Villa set to play Freiburg at Istanbul’s Besiktas Park on Wednesday night.
"I am not a king in this competition," Emery, 54, told reporters about his past successes, stressing he was focused on a victory that would launch a new era for Villa.
"Now is a new way, a new moment and hopefully a new winner," he said. "Each match you must try to build the right mentality during the whole season, not just for the final."
Emery took Sevilla to three consecutive titles between 2014 and 2016 and won again with Villarreal in 2021. He also reached the 2019 final with Arsenal where they lost to Chelsea.
Villa are chasing their first major trophy in 30 years.
"Now is a new experience that we will have tomorrow and it is important in our structure how we are managing our emotions," Emery added. "We have played a lot of matches and had a lot of emotions."
Freiburg, who are making their first appearance in a major European showpiece, are expected to provide a stern test.
"We must try to understand the pressure as something positive, not negative," Emery said.
"We have to play with personality, with confidence, and to do that we have to play with intensity."
