Unai Emery eyeing long-term success for Aston Villa in the Champions League
Unai Emery says Villa must aim to be more than one-season wonders in the Champions League as he targets another “special” night.
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Villa host Club Brugge on Wednesday in the second leg of a last-16 tie, looking to reach the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 1983.
Emery’s men hold a 3-1 lead from last week’s first leg and a victory on the night would be the seventh in this year’s tournament, one more than recorded when Villa won the European Cup in 1982.
But while that triumph was followed by years of decline, Emery wants to build something sustainable and hopes the clubs experience this season is just the start.
He said: "I know where the club was after they won the European Cup. They were for a long time not achieving the demands we are now setting in the club. To be in Europe, to be contenders for trophies.
"Everything we are doing of course is important. But I want more."
Emery took Villa back into European competition for the first time for more than a decade when they qualified for last season’s Conference League.
The Spaniard then exceeded all expectations by leading the club into the Champions League but wants this season’s adventure to become normal.
"To play in this Champions League has been fantastic but my objective is to try to be consistent playing in Europe and playing in the Champions League,” he said.
"And everything we are achieving of course is because we are in a new way and in a new demand.
"Starting for the owners, starting for the club, starting for everything we are trying to set inside. I think the supporters feel the same way.
"To keep it is difficult. This is the challenge I have.
"I think you can remember my objective here when I arrived here. Firstly when I arrived here was to be a contender for trophies and to play in Europe.
"Maybe even the first objective I had when I arrived here was to be in Europe. And we got it last year and this year.
"To be a contender for a trophy. Last year we were in the Conference League, and we were being contenders but we lost the semi-final.
"This year we are in the FA Cup. We are now in the Champions League as well.
"And everything we are doing of course, hopefully we can keep for a long time. And this is the challenge.”
Villa will net an extra £10.5million in prize money should they progress through Wednesday’s tie.
