Aston Villa ended their 30-year wait for a major trophy after thrashing Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League final in Istanbul.

Watched by Villa fan William, HRH Prince of Wales, at Besiktas Park, Unai Emery’s side produced a regal display as Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia scored stunning first-half goals before Morgan Rogers sealed a famous triumph after the break.

“We will go down in history,” Rogers told TNT Sports. “It is a great moment for the fans and a great moment for the club.”

Prince William posted on X: “Amazing night! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club!”

It was the Premier League club’s most significant silverware since the EFL Cup in 1996 – and their first continental title since the European Cup in 1982.

For Emery, it was a record-extending fifth Europa League success in what was his sixth European final, more than any other manager this century. The Spaniard – who celebrated on the shoulders of Emiliano Martinez in front of his fans – and Carlo Ancelotti are now the only managers to have won a single European competition five times.

“It is really fantastic,” said Emery. “This final is confirmation of how we are progressing. It is very important for the players and the supporters.”

Villa’s glory at Besiktas Park caps a remarkable revival for a club who were in the Championship as recently as seven years ago.

When Emery was appointed Villa boss in October 2022, they were only three points above the Premier League relegation zone.

But under his management, the Midlands side have qualified for Europe every season, reaching the UEFA Conference League semi-finals in 2024, the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2025 and now winning the Europa League.

Indeed, since the start of 2023/24, no side have won more matches in European competition than Emery’s men.

“Get the statue ready, he deserves one,” former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves said on TNT Sports. “The transformation of this football club under him has been nothing short of remarkable.”

Villa’s triumph in Turkey on Wednesday night would have guaranteed them a place in next season’s Champions League. But their spot was already secured after they beat Liverpool last Friday, a win which means they cannot finish any lower than fifth in the Premier League table ahead of their final match at Manchester City on Sunday.

“It has been a season with a lot of ups and downs,” Tielemans told TNT Sports. “We started so, so badly. Our standards were very poor.

“But the way we turned things around was great. We just kept working and kept believing. To get Champions League and then to top it off with this, it is amazing.”

Villa are the second straight Premier League club to win the Europa League, following Tottenham Hotspur’s victory last year. That is the first time English teams have triumphed back-to-back in this competition since 1972 and 1973, when it was known as the UEFA Cup.

Premier League teams have now also collected five European trophies in four seasons. And they could claim two more before the month is out, with Crystal Palace facing Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on 27 May, before Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on 30 May.

Villa arrived in Istanbul as favourites against a Freiburg side who sit seventh in the Bundesliga and were featuring in their first European final. And they immediately stamped their authority on the match, with Rogers forcing a save out of Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu with a 20-yard strike in the third minute.

Rogers has created more chances than any player in the Europa League season, and the most by an Englishman since James Milner for Liverpool in 2015/16.

And it was the England international who set up Villa’s opener three minutes before the break. From a short corner on the left, Rogers hung a high cross to the far side of the box, with the unmarked Tielemans hammering a first-time volley past Atubolu.

The Belgian became the first Villa player to score in a continental final since Peter Withe netted the winner against Bayern Munich to win the 1982 European Cup.

And for Tielemans it was another stunning goal in a major final, five years after he scored a screamer to lead Leicester City to FA Cup glory over Chelsea.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Villa winger Marc Albrighton – who won the FA Cup with Tielemans – said: “I did message him [Tielemans] this morning to say, ‘All the best Youri. Another goal like your last one in a cup final will do.' He messaged back saying, ‘No problem.'”

Villa doubled their lead in the third minute of first-half stoppage time through another special goal.

Buendia received the ball from captain John McGinn on the edge of the box with his back to goal. He then took a touch and turned, before curling a sensational left-footed strike into the top left corner.

It was the Argentinian winger’s ninth goal contribution (six goals and three assists) in the Europa League this season and came on his 150th appearance for Villa.

“We spoke about the quality of the first goal from Tielemans, this one was equal if not better,” said Albrighton. “The finish was sublime.”

Buendia then turned provider for Villa’s third goal in the 58th minute, as his low cross from the left was poked in at the front post by Rogers.

The 23-year-old’s goal was the first by an Englishman in the Europa League final since Daniel Sturridge scored for Liverpool in a defeat to Emery’s Sevilla in 2016.

Rogers also became the youngest Englishman to score in a major European final since Steven Gerrard for Liverpool against Alaves in 2001.

This was all achieved despite Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez breaking a finger in the warm-up.

"For me, every bad thing brings something good," he said afterwards. "I've done this my whole life and I'll keep doing it.

"Should I be worried? Well, I've never had a broken finger before. Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I'm proud to defend Aston Villa."

All that was then left was for McGinn to lift the trophy, a special moment for the Scotland international, who has been at Villa for eight years and scored when they won the Championship playoff final in 2019.

“It is the proudest night of my career so far,” McGinn told TNT Sports. “It is so, so special.

“This club was close to being in a bad way seven years ago. But tonight was everything we have built coming together. The pride I felt at 3-0 with 10 minutes to go, thinking we are European champions, is something I cannot describe.”

On having the support of Prince William, McGinn added: “He is a classy guy. He was in the dressing-room before the game.

“Hopefully he can have a couple of drinks with us and maybe get his credit card out at the end of the night!” (Premiere league)

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