The Europa League seems tailor-made for Unai Emery. On that Istanbul night, when Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in the 2025-2026 season's final, the Spanish strategist once again stepped onto the familiar podium of the competition he has dominated for over a decade.
This is Emery's fifth Europa League title, a feat no other manager has achieved. Before Aston Villa, he won the title three times in a row with Sevilla between 2014 and 2016, and another with Villarreal in 2021.
Unai Emery brings Aston Villa back to the top tier of European competition.
Not only does Emery hold the record for the most Europa League titles, but he is also the first coach to win the Europa League with three different clubs. In the Europa League era, Diego Simeone is the only coach to have won it more than once, but even he only has two titles with Atletico Madrid.
Unai Emery has led Spanish teams to four Europa League titles.
More specifically, in the six Europa League finals he has participated in, Emery has only suffered one defeat, when Arsenal lost to Chelsea in 2019. The rest all ended in emotional triumphs.
Emery's journey to building his "Europa League empire" began in 2014, when Sevilla overcame Benfica on penalties after a goalless final. A year later, Sevilla beat Dnipro 3-2 in an emotional match in Warsaw. In 2016, the Spanish team came from behind to beat Liverpool 3-1, completing a historic hat-trick of titles.
Emery and Aston Villa conquered the Europa League after their defeat against Arsenal in 2019.
After an unsuccessful spell at Arsenal, Emery revived his career with Villarreal, securing a thrilling 11-10 penalty shootout victory over Manchester United in 2021 – a final widely considered one of the most dramatic in the tournament's history.
Now, Aston Villa has become the new chapter in that glorious journey. Under Emery's leadership, the Birmingham team not only secured a place in the Champions League but also ended a 30-year trophy drought with a convincing European championship victory.
Emery truly deserves the title of "King of the Europa League".
What makes Emery special isn't simply the number of titles he's won. He's renowned for his meticulous preparation, his ability to read the game, and his capacity to inspire his players. Captain John McGinn admitted he'd never seen a manager as "obsessed with winning" as Emery.
Former midfielder Ivan Rakitić said that the Spanish coach "lives with football 24 hours a day".
Glory belongs to the most deserving.
Emery himself considers the Europa League to be one of the most important parts of his managerial career. And with what he has shown, it's hard to deny that he is the "king of the Europa League" in modern football.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/unai-emery-ong-vua-europa-league-196260521062700692.htm
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