Unai Emery said Aston Villa's next challenge was to establish themselves as regular contenders for silverware and as one of the Premier League's top seven clubs, after ending their 30-year trophy drought.

Emery delivered Villa's first trophy since the 1995-96 EFL Cup with a 3-0 victory over Freiburg in Wednesday's Europa League final.

It was Villa's first major European trophy since winning the European Cup back in 1982, with stunning efforts from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia putting them in control late in the first half, before Morgan Rogers added a third goal after the interval. 

Emery has now won the Europa League five times, becoming only the second manager to accomplish that feat in a single European competition, after Carlo Ancelotti's five Champions League triumphs.

He has also masterminded a top-five finish in the Premier League, meaning Villa were guaranteed to play Champions League football next season even if they lost to Freiburg.

But when speaking to TNT Sports after full-time, his mind went back to the difficult start to the season his team endured, as they failed to win any of their first five Premier League matches, failing to score in their first four.

"It's a huge challenge we have in the Premier League. Why? In the beginning, we are not contenders for top seven," Emery said. 

"There are seven top teams. There's the top six, and Newcastle are seventh. And we are trying to get there, to be consistent there. 

"We are achieving it. But of course, to keep doing it is our challenge. And then, by being there, we are in Europe."

5 - No manager has won more major European finals than Unai Emery (level with Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Giovanni Trapattoni). Demographic. pic.twitter.com/CpYBBqzCKr

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 20, 2026

Only Borussia Monchengladbach against Twente in 1975, Real Madrid against Koln in 1986 and Sevilla against Middlesbrough in 2006 have won either the final or a leg of the final in the UEFA Cup/Europa League by a greater margin than Villa (all four-goal margins).  

Having fallen short of silverware last season, losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals and Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals, Emery believes Villa will gain confidence from this success moving forwards.  

"By getting this trophy we are adding experiences for us, and those experiences for the players are important," he added. 

"We can also play next year trying again to be in contention for trophies. Last year, with the FA Cup and Champions League semis and quarter-finals, we lost – but it was experience for us. 

"We lost those matches because we deserved to, we didn't deserve more against Crystal Palace. Today, I was ready to win, I was ready to lose. Of course, winning is better!"

Among the strong contingent of Villa supporters that made the trip to Istanbul was William, Prince of Wales, and he took to social media afterwards to laud an unsung hero.

Holding midfielder Boubacar Kamara sustained a serious knee injury in January, his second in the last two years, and was ruled out for the remainder of Villa's campaign.

"Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware," William wrote on X. 

"Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success. UTV!"