Aston Villa wins Europa League 3-0

Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday, ending a 30-year wait for a trophy and giving manager Unai Emery another European title. UEFA said Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers scored in the final at the San Mames? No — in Istanbul, where Villa controlled the match and finished with three unanswered goals. UEFA’s match report described it as Villa’s first Europa League title, while ESPN reported it was the club’s first trophy since 1996. ### Who scored, and how did the final turn? Youri Tielemans opened the scoring for Aston Villa, and Emiliano Buendía added a second before Morgan Rogers completed the 3-0 win, according to UEFA’s final report. UEFA said the two first-half strikes came at the end of a tight opening period and set Villa on their way to victory. (uefa.com) Morgan Rogers was also central to UEFA’s post-final coverage. UEFA named Rogers its Europa League Player of the Season on Thursday, and published his reaction after the final under the headline: “It will live with me forever.” ### How rare is this for Aston Villa? Aston Villa’s previous major trophy came in 1996, ESPN reported, making Wednesday’s result the club’s first silverware in 30 years. (uefa.com) UEFA’s season results page said the 2025-26 competition concluded on May 20 with Aston Villa defeating Freiburg in the Istanbul final. (uefa.com) Unai Emery added to a long European record with the win. UEFA published a separate video package on “Emery’s five Europa League titles,” tying Villa’s triumph to the manager’s history in the competition. ### Where does this sit in English clubs’ recent run? Aston Villa became the sixth English club to win the competition, according to Sportstar’s winners list cited in the source briefing. (uefa.com) UEFA also published a feature on English sides to win the Europa League after Villa’s victory. Premier League clubs have now won back-to-back Europa League titles after Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the 2024-25 final, according to NBC Sports’ all-time winners list cited in the briefing. (uefa.com) ESPN’s fixture and results pages show Villa’s route through the knockout rounds included wins over Lille, Bologna and Nottingham Forest before the final. Freiburg reached Istanbul after eliminating Braga in the semifinals. ### How did Villa and Freiburg reach Istanbul? Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4-1 on aggregate in the semifinals, with a 4-0 second-leg win at Villa Park on May 7, ESPN’s Europa League schedule page showed. (uefa.com) Freiburg advanced by beating Braga 4-3 on aggregate after a 3-1 second-leg home win the same day. UEFA’s match center for the final lists Freiburg and Aston Villa as the two finalists and carries the official final record, videos and post-match material from Istanbul. (espn.com) ### What comes next after the final? UEFA updated its Europa League site on May 21 with final highlights, analysis and post-match reaction from Istanbul. (espn.com) UEFA’s competition page also lists Aston Villa as the 2025-26 champions and features the final video, Rogers’ award and Emery reaction in its latest coverage. (uefa.com 1) (uefa.com 2)