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Aston Villa ended their 30-year trophy drought in style as spectacular goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia inspired a 3-0 win against Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Unai Emery’s side took the lead late in the first half in Istanbul through Tielemans’ thunderous volley.

Buendia increased Villa’s advantage with a sublime curler seconds before the interval.

Morgan Rogers’ second-half goal finished off the outclassed Germans, sealing Villa’s first silverware since the 1996 League Cup and their first major European prize for 44 years.

That famous European Cup final upset of Bayern Munich in 1982, secured by Peter Withe’s goal in Rotterdam, has stood as the most iconic moment in Villa’s 152-year history.

But Villa’s current stars were determined to follow in the footsteps of the club’s golden generation.

Now Tielemans, Buendia, John McGinn and company can share the rarified air previously reserved for Withe, Tony Morley, Dennis Mortimer, Nigel Spink and the rest of the Class of ’82.

Fittingly, with Withe and Mortimer watching from the stands, Villa crushed Freiburg while wearing white shirts instead of their traditional claret and blue kit — just as they did against Bayern.

Villa’s long-awaited continental conquest was the latest Europa League masterclass for Emery, who has now won the tournament five times after victories with Sevilla in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and Villarreal in 2021.

Emery said this week that he didn’t feel like the “king” of the Europa League, but his team’s coronation got the royal seal of approval from Villa fan Prince William, who was celebrating along with around 20,000 ecstatic supporters in the Besiktas Stadium.

Hollywood actor Tom Hanks, another famous Villa fan, joined the party, sending a good luck message to the team before kick-off.

It has been a memorable finish to the campaign for Villa, who sealed qualification for next season’s Champions League with a win against Liverpool last week.

Villa’s success over the last six days would have been impossible to imagine when they started the season with a run of six matches without a win, scoring just twice in that dismal streak.

– Unforgettable night –
Their maiden win this season came in the Europa League against Bologna, the first of 13 victories in 15 games in the competition that culminated in their ruthless demolition of first-time European finalists Freiburg.

Despite losing in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals in 2024, and the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals last year, Emery was convinced Villa would eventually cast off their ‘nearly men’ tag.

The 54-year-old Spaniard’s unshakable faith has been rewarded.

The Europa League triumph underlined Villa’s impressive renaissance since Emery took charge in October 2022 with the club languishing just three points above the relegation zone.

Relegated to the second tier in 1987 and 2016 and beaten in their previous four domestic finals prior to arriving in Istanbul, Villa have endured some torrid times since winning the European Cup.

Those miserable memories were banished forever on an unforgettable night on the banks of the Bosphorus.

Villa dominated from the start and should have been ahead in the opening moments when Noah Atubolu denied Rogers.

Tielemans shattered Freiburg’s resistance with his moment of magic in the 41st minute.

Rogers was catalyst in a clever short corner routine, lofting a pin-point cross towards Tielemans, who timed his run perfectly to slam a brilliant volley past Atubolu from just inside the area.

It was only Tielemans’ second goal this season and his first since December.

Even the Belgian midfielder’s rocket had to take a back seat to Buendia’s gem.

Setting his sights on the edge of the area after Freiburg failed to close him down, Buendia curled a majestic finish into the far corner.

Rogers put the result beyond doubt in the 58th minute, sliding to convert Buendia’s cross as a Villa party three decades in the making went into full swing.

AFP

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DR Congo have cancelled a planned three-day World Cup training camp and farewell event in Kinshasa due to an Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country.

The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has reportedly caused more than 130 deaths and nearly 600 suspected cases. The World Health Organization has declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern.

Despite the disruption, Congo will proceed with scheduled warm-up matches against Denmark national football team in Liege on June 3 and Chile national football team in Spain on June 9.

“There were three stages of preparation: in Kinshasa to say goodbye to the public, Belgium and Spain with two friendly matches against Denmark in Liege and Chile in Spain, and the third stage from June 11 in Houston, United States. Only one stage was cancelled — the one in Kinshasa,” team spokesman Jerry Kalemo said.

Congo’s players and head coach Sébastien Desabre are based abroad, with most of the squad playing in France.

FIFA said it is monitoring the outbreak and remains in close contact with the Congolese football federation to ensure the team receives all relevant medical and security guidance.

Congo, appearing at their first World Cup since 1974, will open their campaign against Portugal national football team in Houston on June 17. They will then face Colombia national football team and Uzbekistan national football team in Group K.

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Bukayo Saka said that Arsenal’s critics were “not laughing at us anymore” as the club celebrated their first Premier League title in more than two decades.

Gunners players and staff gathered at the club’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday to watch closest challengers Manchester City draw 1-1 away to Bournemouth — a result which gave Arsenal an unassailable four-point lead at the top of the table with just Sunday’s final round of matches remaining.

As the Arsenal squad relished the club’s first Premier League title since 2004, there were also joyous scenes at the north London side’s Emirates Stadium, where thousands of supporters gathered to mark the occasion by lighting fireworks and flares.

Arsenal, runners-up in the league for the previous three seasons, had faced accusations of “bottling” their title bid, with several observers questioning their temperament and ability to handle pressure following a 2-1 defeat at City on April 19.

But while City subsequently drew at Everton and then at Bournemouth, Arsenal won their next four league games without conceding a goal.
Arsenal’s success meant Gunners boss Mikel Arteta joined a select group who’ve won English titles both as a player and manager.

Arteta, who rejoined Arsenal as manager in December 2019 with the club in dire straits, installed a blacked-out Premier League trophy at Colney, which would light up only when the Gunners won the title

Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta shouts instructions to the players from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on December 6, 2025.

“Light that up,” Saka said in footage posted by defender Jurrien Timber on his Instagram account.
“Let me tell you something. Twenty-two years, 22 years. There was laughing, there was joking, they’re not laughing anymore,” the England international added. “Look, it is going to be shining, it is going to be shining bright.”
In an Instagram post, this time on Saka’s channel, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly was seen holding a champagne bottle.

“They called us bottlers,” said Lewis-Skelly who, like Saka, came through the club’s Hale End Academy youth system. “And now we’re holding the bottle.”

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger featured in a celebratory post put out by his old side.

Arsenal’s German midfielder #29 Kai Havertz celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Burnley at the Emirates Stadium in London on May 18, 2026.

The Frenchman, who won three Premier League titles with the Gunners, including the 2004 ‘Invincibles’, said: “You did it. Champions go on when others stop. This is your time.

Now, go on and enjoy every moment.”
City manager Pep Guardiola, who had Arteta as his assistant for two of the Manchester club’s league titles, paid tribute to his fellow Spaniard.

“On behalf of everyone at Manchester City, we congratulate Mikel and all the staff, players and fans on winning the Premier League,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “They deserve it, for so much hard work and effort.”

Arsenal will be presented with the Premier League trophy after their final match of the domestic season at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Gunners could yet end the campaign with an impressive double when they go in search of their first Champions League title against Paris Saint-Germain in a Budapest final on May 30.