Unai Emery’s remarkable Europa League record: how many times has he won it?
On Wednesday, Emery led Aston Villa to victory in the Europa League final, having previously tasted success with Sevilla and Villarreal.
Unai Emery continued his love affair with the Europa League on Wednesday, as his Aston Villa team swept past Bundesliga club Freiburg in the 2025-26 final in Istanbul, Turkey.
In a dominant performance by the Premier League club, Villa triumphed 3-0 at Besiktas Stadium, through goals by Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers.
Emery’s Europa League obsession
Villa were heavy favorites to win the competition for the first time, mainly because of finances. The Premier League’s financial power means the Birmingham-based club’s budget dwarfs that of its German opponents.
Another omen working in Villa’s favor was Emery’s quite incredible record in Europe’s secondary club tournament.
The Spaniard was already the most successful manager in Europa League history, having lifted the trophy on four occasions before today.
Emery is partly responsible for Sevilla’s dominance of the competition. The LaLiga club has won the tournament seven times since 2006. No other club has managed more than three victories since the competition was first played as the UEFA Cup in 1971-72.
Emery was at the helm for three of those seven triumphs, defeating Benfica in 2014, Dnipro in 2015 and Liverpool in 2016 in successive finals. The 54-year-old then proved it was no fluke five years later as Villarreal manager, beating Manchester United in a penalty shootout in the 2021 final.
Additionally, as Arsenal boss, he reached the 2019 final, where the Gunners were beaten by Chelsea.
Emery extends European record
On Wednesday, Emery masterminded a record-extending fifth victory as a manager, leaving him two wins ahead of his nearest challenger, the veteran Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni.
In the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti is the most successful manager, also with five triumphs, two ahead of Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane and Liverpool legend Bob Paisley.
Aston Villa’s European achievements
Aston Villa had tasted European success before today, but not since 1982, when they won the European Cup, now the Champions League, and the European Super Cup, now the UEFA Super Cup.
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