Aston Villa captain John McGinn has challenged his team to shake off the “nearly men” label and become club legends by ending a long wait for major silverware with Europa League glory.
Villa reached their first major European final since winning the European Cup in 1982 after a dominant 4-0 victory at Villa Park that overturned Nottingham Forest’s advantage and sealed a 4-1 aggregate win. Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendía put Villa ahead on the night before McGinn struck twice to complete the comeback and send the club to Istanbul.
The final on May 20 will pit Unai Emery’s side against Bundesliga outfit Freiburg, and McGinn says the players are determined not to let the opportunity slip. He praised the atmosphere at Villa Park and said the recent run of results had intensified the pressure on the dressing room, but the squad responded when it mattered most.
McGinn reflected on the fine margins of cup football, noting that a single defeat could have left them branded as nearly men. With the return of a major final to the club — and a trophy drought stretching back decades — he urged his teammates to embrace the pressure and aim to be remembered alongside past Villa greats.
He acknowledged the club’s turbulent recent history, including relegation and rebuilds, and said the proud club deserves success. McGinn admitted he felt the nerves ahead of the semi-final but believed the team gave one of their best collective performances in a long time, determined not to finish the tie with regrets.
Emery, who has already won the Europa League multiple times with Sevilla and Villarreal and reached another final with Arsenal, is one victory away from a fifth triumph in the competition — a remarkable record that underlines his pedigree in Europe.
Watkins also paid tribute to Emery’s influence, saying the manager prepared the team well and that now they must go to Istanbul with the intention of winning the final. He highlighted the collective effort across the squad after recent Premier League setbacks and found it difficult to single out one standout performer, saying everyone contributed to the win.
Despite three consecutive domestic defeats to Fulham, Forest and Tottenham that had increased scrutiny on both players and manager, Villa delivered when it mattered and now have a chance to write a new chapter in the club’s history by bringing home major silverware.