Striker Ollie Watkins has lauded Aston Villa for their remarkable transformation from relegation fighters to Europa League champions in recent years.

In the 2019-20 season, Villa finished 17th upon their return to the Premier League, struggling at the bottom of the table until Unai Emery took over from Steven Gerrard in November 2022. Fast forward just over three-and-a-half years, and Emery has consistently led the club to European competitions.

Watkins, who netted 19 goals across all competitions this season, expressed the significance of bringing the Europa League trophy back to Birmingham, marking 44 years since their last European title. He stated:

“The real atmosphere was out on the pitch. I’m looking forward to bringing that trophy back, I’m looking forward to the party ahead. Very special day.”

He highlighted the resilience shown during their match against Nottingham Forest, which he felt strengthened team unity.

“It kind of surprised us how much we can dig in and pull together as a team. We were close to relegation and to come back and do this now and bring a trophy back to Birmingham is special.”

In the warm-up for their 3-0 victory over Freiburg at Besiktas Park, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez sustained a hand injury but still started and kept a clean sheet. The 33-year-old World Cup winner revealed after the match that he played with a broken finger:

“What we achieved was beautiful. I feel proud and the feeling I keep growing match after match.”

Martinez noted the challenges he faced during the game, emphasizing that such hurdles are part of the sport.