Nigeria, May 21 -- Aston Villa ended their 44-year wait for European glory on Wednesday night after defeating SC Freiburg 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League final, as manager Unai Emery further cemented his reputation as the competition's greatest coach.

The victory at Besiktas Park in Istanbul delivered Aston Villa's first major trophy in three decades and secured Emery's record-extending fifth UEFA Cup/Europa League crown.

The Spaniard had previously lifted the trophy three consecutive times with Sevilla FC between 2014 and 2016 before guiding Villarreal CF to Europa League success in 2021.

Villa's latest triumph also places Emery alongside managerial greats Giovanni Trapattoni, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho as the only coaches to win...