Unai Emery outlines bold Champions League ambitions for Aston Villa ahead of epic 41-year European first
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery laid out his ambitions for the club's first Champions League campaign since 1983.
Emery guided Villa to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season as well as a run to the semi finals of the Europa Conference League.
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In doing so, it sealed Villa's return to Champions League nights for the first time in 41 years.
It continued the club's remarkable upward trajectory since Emery took the reins in 2022 after Steven Gerrard's dismal stint, guiding Villa out of relegation trouble to finish seventh.
With the draw for the new-look Champions League format to take place on August 29, Villa fans are counting down the days until they find out the eight opponents they will face.
Emery, a veteran of European football, insists the draw 'is not that relevant'.
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But that hasn't stopped the Villa manager from dreaming big of what could be possible for the club.
"I got the semi finals with Villarreal three years ago," Emery told Jeff Stelling and Andy Townsend on talkSPORT Breakfast.
"That was fantastic, we enjoyed that. Now I want to do the same here.
"My objective at the beginning is to play more than eight matches. We will enjoy the Champions League by being competitive and successful.
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"The draw is not relevant because we are going to face the best teams in Europe, in Spain, in Italy, in Germany, in France. Some teams I've played before and I want to enjoy it."
With the new format, Villa will play eight league games on a home-and-away basis against eight different opponents.
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They will hope to secure enough results to land them a top-eight finish and book a guaranteed spot in the knockout stages.
But should they finish anywhere between 9th and 24th, they will face a two-legged play-off to qualify for the Round of 16.
Aside from the Champions League, Emery also dreams of bringing a trophy back to Villa Park.
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The Villans have not won a major trophy since the League Cup in the 1995-96 season.
Emery conceded that winning silverware would be 'very difficult', but strongly believes his squad is more than capable of doing it.
"When I arrived here one-and-a-half years ago, I was standing in my first press conference," Emery said.
"I was dreaming in that moment to play in Europe and to win a trophy.
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"To win a trophy is very difficult, even the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. It depends on a lot of things during the season. The draw, how you are in each moment to play teams.
"A trophy is always in my mind because I got trophies for other teams and I am here trying to share my experiences being successful, being a contender for a trophy.
"Our progress has been clear but still a lot of work to do, and you have to be more demanding than we were before."
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