Unai Emery has the perfect opportunity to respond to his doubters on Wednesday night when Aston Villa face Freiburg in the Europa League final. The Aston Villa manager was controversially omitted from the Manager of the Year shortlist, despite guiding his team to Champions League qualification and a European final.
Emery's Omission a 'Crime Against Football'
Some considered Bruno Fernandes winning the FWA Player of the Year award a scandal, but Emery's exclusion from the Manager of the Year nominees is even more baffling. Names like Keith Andrews and Regis Le Bris made the six-man list, yet Emery, who has transformed Villa's fortunes, was overlooked. Both Andrews and Le Bris have had solid seasons with Brentford and Sunderland respectively, but Emery's achievements dwarf theirs.
Emery led Villa back into the Champions League, challenging the dominance of Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool, while also guiding the club to the Europa League final. Villa will face Freiburg in Istanbul's Tupras Stadium on Wednesday, seeking their first trophy in three decades. Thousands of Villa fans have traveled to Turkey hoping to witness history.
A Chance for Redemption
The last time Villa conquered Europe was in 1982, when they beat Bayern Munich to win the European Cup. Now, Emery and his squad can etch their names into club folklore. If Emery wins his fifth Europa League title, it would further highlight the absurdity of his omission from the Manager of the Year shortlist.
Emery has spent relatively little compared to rivals like Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot, and he lost Marcus Rashford to Barcelona last summer. Yet since taking charge in October 2022, Villa have consistently qualified for European competitions. He has taken Villa to at least the quarter-finals of all three European competitions, including semi-finals in two.
Of the six finals Emery has been involved in, only one was not with Villa – Arsenal's 2019 loss to Chelsea. It feels destined that Emery and Villa will triumph in Istanbul, bringing silverware back to the Midlands. Victory would also serve as a defiant response to those who continue to underrate his achievements in English football.
