Overview
- Villa defeated Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday, with Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers scoring the goals that ended a 30-year wait for major silverware.
- Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez played through a broken finger sustained in the warm-up and kept a clean sheet after receiving on‑site treatment before the match.
- Manager Unai Emery claimed a record-extending fifth Europa League title, further burning his imprint on Villa after turning the club from relegation candidates in 2022 into regular European competitors.
- Multiple outlets have reported that owners are prepared to increase Emery's summer transfer budget to around £100m, but those figures remain media reports and have not been officially confirmed by the club.
- Villa held a celebratory parade in Birmingham and will move into next season's Champions League, a change that should boost matchday and commercial revenue but will still require careful spending because of existing financial rules and relative income shortfalls.