Aston Villa have never played in the Champions League.
The European Cup was rebranded in 1992 in what was the creation of the now Champions League. Villa competed in the European Cup twice. Winning it first time round in 1982 and then going onto reach the Quarter-finals the following season. Not a bad record.
Carrying on the topic of good European records, we take a look at current Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery, and see how he has faired in European competitions so far during his managerial career.
Mister knows how to perform a European masterclass:
Emery has competed in a total of seven Champions League campaigns.
Managing the likes of Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Paris Saint Germain and Villarreal.
The man has Champions League experience, there's no doubt about that, but can he show his quality with this Villa side?
He has experience, yes, but his record when it comes to the Champions League is a mixed bag.
Prior to reaching the 2021/22 Semi-final of the competition with Villarreal, he had never passed the round of 16, underperforming with a PSG side in 2017/18 that had a world-class talent in Neymar and an 18 year-old Kylian Mbappe breaking onto the scene.
His best performance in the contest came with Villarreal in the 2021/22 season. Now, Villarreal. Not the biggest of sides but Emery implemented his style of play.
If you look at Emery's managerial career so far, it’s clear that he excels with teams not filled with star players and world-class talent. He improves players, as he has shown abundantly at Villa.
Villarreal's Champions League campaign 2021/22:
Villarreal were placed placed in Group F with Manchester United, Atalanta BC and BSC Young Boys.
Villarreal came runners-up in the group finishing one point behind winners Manchester United. Picking up six points against BSC Young Boys, four points from Atalanta BC and zero from United.
The yellow submarine then went on to beat Juventus 4-1 over two legs to reach the Quarter-Finals, where they would face German giants Bayern Munich.
One of the biggest European upsets in the last decade or the biggest was about to unfold.
Emery's side took a 1-0 lead into the second leg away at the Allianz Arena.
When Robert Lewandowski levelled the tie in the 52nd minute it was looking like one way traffic, however all was about to change.
Samuel Chukwueze who started the game on the bench, finished into the roof of the net, over Manuel Neuer in the 88th minute of the fixture, to book Villarreal a spot in the Champions League semi-finals.
Emery's Villarreal side would go onto face Liverpool in the semis but lose 5-2 on aggregate. In the 60th minute of the second leg tie the aggregate score was 2-2.
This demonstrates how Emery took a good, but not world-class, side to a Champions League semi-final, beating European giants along the way.
Villa fans will be hoping for much of the same this time round.
That Villarreal side of 2021/22 contained many familiar names: Pau Torres (now reunited with Emery), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton), Alberto Moreno (formerly of Liverpool), Juan Foyth (former Spurs player), Serge Aurier (PSG, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest former player), Francis Coquelin (formerly of Arsenal), Etienne Capoue (formerly of Tottenham), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham) and Nicolas Jackson (now of Chelsea).
You would look at the majority of those mentioned and say that they had underwhelming Premier League careers, however the magic of Unai Emery inspired them to a semi-final finish.
Three on the bounce at Sevilla!
Everyone knows it by now. Unai Emery is the King of the Europa League.
Winning the title on four different occasions, let alone winning it three years in a row when at Sevilla.
2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16. Sevilla. Europa League champions.
The year before reaching the Champions League semi-finals with Villarreal, he won the Europa League with them.
People look at his time with Arsenal as a failure, however within his first season with The Gunners, he reached the Europa League final which ended dismally. They received a battering from Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea in a 4-1 defeat.
What is a successful Champions League result for Villa?
All of this evidence goes towards creating a viable case that Aston Villa can compete in the Champions League this coming season.
I've said it before: for me, a successful European campaign this season would be reaching the knockout stages.
Villa will enter the Champions League as underdogs, playing without pressure on their shoulders. However, opposition sides must be careful, as Villa have the quality and experience to pack a punch.
Will you bet against us?
