A summary of Aston Villa’s ambitions after a 10 year hiatus from European football, they’re looking for glory on this stage again and have all the tools to do so with their flying squad and a proven manager in Unai Emery.
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00:00 What is the latest on the Europa League?
00:28 Is this a competition where Villa fans will be disappointed?
00:37 I think now they are the favourites, there will be some disappointment naturally. But also just pride if they get to that position, even if they lose. To be in Europe in the first place is a fantastic achievement after a decade out of it. I don't think they really cared what competition it was at the tail end of the last season, just getting in that seventh place to get that European football was so important.
00:57 Now they've got it, now they're advancing to the quarterfinal stage after beating Ajax. What a night under the lights at Villa Park, 4-0 thrashing of the Dutch giants. Of course they've played the likes of Zrinski and Legia Warsaw and Ezeld Alkmaar, the other Dutch club as well.
01:13 They've had a fairly difficult group in that aspect because in the Europa Conference League you can have clubs that you've never heard of. Zrinski maybe one of those, but the other two decent sides. They battled through and now they're going to be playing Lille home and away in the quarterfinal stage.
01:27 That's quite a difficult draw actually if you look at some of the other teams in the competition left. Fiorentina probably the second favourites looking at it on paper. Villa will play against Olympiacos or Fenerbahce if they advance.
01:40 So some very exciting ties in there. You would fancy them to win it with the sides left in there, but it's going to be incredibly difficult.
01:47 You know Emery though, there's a lot of faith in him. He's a serial winner of European trophies, of course, won the Europa League four times with Sevilla three and then once with Villarreal as well. Can he do the Europa Conference? On paper it should be easier, shouldn't it?
02:01 Do you think Villa brought him in just to claim their stake in Europe again and get a European trophy? Do you think that was always in the back of their mind when they asked them if Villa Bordeaux would bring in Unai Emery?
02:14 I'm sure the ambitions would have definitely been there from the very start. Can we get Villa back into Europe first and foremost? Can we get them winning trophies again? It's a huge club. It shouldn't be in disarray. It shouldn't be in the championship like it was a few years ago.
02:27 It shouldn't be fighting relegation like they began to under Steven Gerrard again. So that lift just to get out of that was great. But then it's just moved so quickly now that I think expectations are going to lift and lift and lift.
02:38 This season if they don't get a Champions League qualification, Europa League will still be great. Having been so far ahead of other teams in the fight, if they lose it now it would be quite disappointing.
02:48 But I'm sure most Villa fans would be happy in the Europa League, still a step up. But Champions League, can you just imagine under the lights at Villa Park? It would be incredible.
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