Aston Villa end 30-year trophy drought with Europa League triumph

Aston Villa ended a 30-year wait for a major trophy after a dominant 3-0 victory over SC Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday night.

Villa took control of the match before halftime with standout performances from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendía, who both scored impressive goals to put the Premier League side firmly ahead.

Morgan Rogers added a third goal shortly after the break to seal the victory and hand Aston Villa their first trophy since winning the League Cup during the 1995-96 season.

The triumph also marked a record fifth Europa League title for Villa manager Unai Emery who previously won the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before joining the Birmingham club.

“It is hard to put into words. We have worked so hard for this,” Rogers said after the match.

“We knew we had one more game and we all delivered and we came through. It is a great moment for the fans, a great moment for the club, and it will go down in history.”

Among the supporters celebrating inside Istanbul’s Tupras Stadium was Prince William, a lifelong Aston Villa fan who travelled to watch the club lift the European trophy.