Aston Villa made a triumphant return to the Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday, marking their first game in the competition in 41 years.
Villa manager Unai Emery urged his team to secure the win in Bern as a tribute to former Villa striker Gary Shaw, who passed away on Monday at the age of 63 following a tragic fall. Shaw’s death added an emotional layer to the match, as he was a key player in Villa’s historic 1982 European Cup victory against Bayern Munich.
Shaw’s legacy remains deeply ingrained at the club. A picture of him celebrating Peter Withe’s iconic winning goal against Bayern Munich adorns Villa’s training ground, and the players wore black armbands during the match in his honour.
In a fitting tribute, Youri Tielemans, wearing Shaw’s iconic number eight shirt, opened the scoring for Villa and celebrated by pointing to his jersey. Jacob Ramsey doubled Villa’s lead before halftime, and Amadou Onana sealed the win with a third goal late in the match, capping a performance that was both stylish and poignant.
“Of course, we want to dedicate this victory to Gary Shaw, his family, and all of the Aston Villa family,” said Emery after the match. “Forty-two years ago, they achieved winning the Champions League. We want to try and follow what that team achieved.”
Villa’s return to the Champions League comes after a surprising fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season. Their upcoming fixtures include high-profile clashes with Bayern Munich and Juventus in the revamped league stage, but this emotional victory will be remembered by Villa fans as a pivotal moment in their resurgence.
Just five years ago, the club was languishing in the English second tier, with dreams of facing Europe’s elite feeling distant. Anticipation had been building for months, and Villa fans, packed into a corner of the Wankdorf Stadium, erupted in joy when the Champions League anthem played, signalling their return to the grand stage after four decades.
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