Casemiro joins Inter Miami: the midfield king arrives in MLS

There are managers who win. And then there's Unai Emery, who wins in Europe like he was born to do it — because basically he was. Tonight in Istanbul, the Hondarribia tactician claimed his fifth Europa League crown. Three with Sevilla. One with Villarreal. And now one with Aston Villa, who had been waiting 44 years for a European trophy and an entire generation of Birmingham fans who'd never experienced this.

The result was clear and emphatic: 3-0 against Friburgo. No drama, no suffering, no penalties. The Emery way. Tielemans opened the scoring in the 42nd minute with a thunderbolt volley in the box after a short corner. Emiliano Buendía, who delivered a masterclass display with a goal and an assist, extended the lead shortly after the break. And Morgan Rogers made it three in the 58th, set up by Buendía himself.

Villa's journey to Istanbul was a show of strength: 3-0 against Lille in the round of 16, 7-1 against Bologna in the quarter-finals, 4-1 against Nottingham Forest in the semis. Numbers from teams that don't just want to win, they want to make it crystal clear who's running things. Emery took a team on the brink of relegation less than four years ago and turned them into European champions. The future King of England was in the stands enjoying himself like a proper Villano.

With this title, Aston Villa qualify for the UEFA Super Cup against the Champions League winner — PSG or Arsenal on 30th May in Budapest. And they also go straight into the group stage of next season's Champions League. From relegation danger to European institution in less than four years.

What more can Emery do? He's won five Europa Leagues with four different clubs. He took Aston Villa to the Champions League quarter-finals last season. He's turned Birmingham into a European football city. The question isn't what more he can do — it's when he'll stop. And everything points to the answer being: never.

Frequently asked questions