Unai Emery made it clear Aston Villa’s Europa League success should mark the start of a larger journey rather than the peak of the club’s ambitions. After guiding Villa to a convincing 3-0 victory over Freiburg on Wednesday night, the Spanish coach immediately shifted attention toward the challenges waiting ahead.

The triumph delivered Aston Villa’s first major trophy since lifting the League Cup in 1996. Even so, Emery showed little interest in celebrating personal milestones, brushing aside suggestions that he has become the “king” of the Europa League after securing the competition for a fifth time.

Instead, his focus remained firmly on what comes next.

Emery Sets Sights on the Champions League

With Villa set to compete in next season’s Champions League, Emery believes the club must continue pushing forward against Europe’s elite sides.

According to the Villa manager, competing among the strongest clubs in the world represents the next step in the project he has been building since arriving at the club. He also highlighted the relentless demands of the Premier League, describing it as the toughest domestic competition in football.

Emery admitted Villa were never initially viewed as realistic contenders for the league’s upper positions. Traditionally, the established “big six” clubs along with Newcastle were expected to dominate those places. Villa, however, have gradually forced their way into that conversation through consistent progress.

The Spaniard stressed that maintaining that level over the long term is now the real objective, particularly as they attempt to close the gap on teams such as Manchester City and Arsenal.

Europa League Success Seen as Part of a Bigger Project

For Emery, winning the Europa League represents one stage in a broader plan aimed at transforming Villa into regular competitors for major honours.

He explained that the club’s ambitions always involved qualifying for European football and eventually challenging for trophies. Lifting silverware now validates the work being done behind the scenes and gives the squad valuable experience for future campaigns.

The Villa boss insisted the team has no intention of slowing down after this achievement. Instead, he believes moments like these provide the confidence and belief required to keep progressing at the highest level.

Set-Piece Work Pays Off Again

One of the decisive moments in the final came through another carefully designed set-piece routine orchestrated by specialist coach Austin MacPhee.

The move created the opening for Youri Tielemans, who fired home a powerful volley to put Villa ahead. Captain John McGinn praised the creativity behind the routine, explaining that the team had attempted a similar approach during the weekend clash against Liverpool.

McGinn joked that Tielemans’ technical quality made the difference, claiming his own effort would probably have ended up flying over the crossbar.

Emery also reserved special praise for MacPhee, describing him as an outstanding innovator whose attention to detail has become an important part of Villa’s development. The manager noted the squad spends significant time refining dead-ball situations during training sessions, and he expressed satisfaction at seeing that preparation rewarded on the biggest stage.

Martínez Reveals Injury Struggle

Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez also played a crucial role in the final despite carrying an injury into the match.

The Argentine required medical treatment for a hand issue before kick-off and later revealed he had fractured a finger during the warm-up. Despite the setback, Martínez insisted he never considered missing the game.

He admitted it was the first broken finger of his career and explained that handling the ball felt unusual throughout the match. Still, the goalkeeper said overcoming difficult moments has always been part of his mentality, adding that he was proud to continue fighting for Aston Villa despite the pain.

The celebrations may have marked the end of a memorable European campaign, but Emery’s comments suggested Aston Villa are already thinking beyond this trophy toward even greater ambitions ahead.