Unai Emery wins fifth Europa League

Unai Emery added a fifth Europa League title to his record on May 20 after Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul, giving the Spanish coach another win in the competition he has come to dominate. Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers scored in the final at Besiktas Park as Villa claimed the trophy and Emery won it with a third different club, according to UEFA and Reuters. ### How unusual is five Europa League titles for one coach? UEFA said Emery’s latest victory was his fifth in the UEFA Cup/Europa League, extending his own record in the competition. The governing body’s records page published on May 20 lists six final appearances for Emery and says the latest success came after previous wins with Sevilla and Villarreal. (uefa.com) The Athletic reported before the final that Emery had reached six Europa League finals with four different clubs since 2014. That run includes three straight titles with Sevilla in 2014, 2015 and 2016, a defeat with Arsenal in 2019, a win with Villarreal in 2021 and now a win with Aston Villa in 2026. (uefa.com) ### Which clubs make up Emery’s six finals? Sevilla account for the first three. UEFA and The Athletic both list Emery’s Sevilla side as winners over Benfica in 2014, Dnipro in 2015 and Liverpool in 2016, a sequence that established him as the competition’s most successful modern coach. (nytimes.com) Arsenal gave Emery his only defeat in these finals. The Athletic said Arsenal lost the 2019 final to Chelsea, while UEFA’s record of his final appearances shows Villarreal’s 2021 win over Manchester United and Aston Villa’s 2026 win over Freiburg completing the set. (uefa.com) ### What happened in Istanbul against Freiburg? Reuters reported from Istanbul on May 20 that Tielemans and Buendia scored “stunning goals” as Villa outclassed Freiburg 3-0, with Rogers adding the third. UEFA’s match report also listed Tielemans, Buendia and Rogers as the scorers in a final played at Besiktas Park. (nytimes.com) Channel NewsAsia, carrying Reuters, said the result ended Villa’s 30-year wait for silverware. Premier League coverage of the match said it was Villa’s first major European title since 1982, while Sky Sports said supporters had waited 44 years to see the club in another European final. (thestar.com.my) ### Why does this tournament keep fitting Emery so well? Emery himself has long been tied to the competition by results rather than rhetoric. UEFA’s competition profile published after the final describes his record as “extraordinary,” while The Athletic’s pre-final piece framed his sixth appearance as another example of how often his teams have found a route deep into this tournament. (channelnewsasia.com) Reuters put the latest win in simpler terms: Villa’s victory over Freiburg earned Emery a record-extending fifth title in the competition. That is the central number attached to his reputation now, more than any single season or club spell. (uefa.com) ### What is the cleanest way to place this in Emery’s career? Five Europa League titles and six finals give Emery one of the clearest specialist records in European coaching. Yahoo Sports, citing post-match reaction, quoted Emery telling TNT Sports: “Fantastic. Europe gave us a lot. For myself as well - a lot.” (thestar.com.my) Aston Villa’s victory also broadens the spread of that record. UEFA said the 2026 title was Emery’s third different club to win the competition, after Sevilla and Villarreal, and his sixth final overall. ### Where can readers check the final and the record? (sports.yahoo.com) UEFA’s match report published on May 20 carries the final score, scorers and venue details from Istanbul. UEFA’s separate records page on Emery lists each of his six Europa League final appearances and the five titles attached to them. (uefa.com 1) (uefa.com 2)