2026-05-20 11:09:25
John McGinn says it “means everything” to have captained Aston Villa to the Europa League final.
Villa will compete in their first European showpiece since 1982 when they take on Bundesliga outfit Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday (20.05.26) and the midfielder is dreaming of helping the club end a trophy drought that stretches back 30 years.
McGinn told UEFA.com: “It means everything. It’s such a historic club. They’ve previously been used to being at the top of English football, being at the top of European football, and for years, the fans have suffered.
“I take real pride in the journey, where we’ve come from. It’s a demanding club to play for, so you need to be brave, have belief and full confidence in yourself, and I think if you have that recipe you can be a successful Villa player.
“I’ve been at clubs previously where you end a long wait for a trophy, and that feeling, and seeing the joy and emotion on everyone’s faces, is incredible.”
Villa are firm favourites to win the final but McGinn has cautioned against taking the challenge posed by Freiburg – who are appearing in a first-ever European showpiece – lightly.
The Scotland international said: “We can redeem ourselves and put ourselves in the history books. We’ve obviously made some changes to the squad, to the team, and there’s certainly a different feeling to the squad this time.
“What we can’t do is take the final for granted. Freiburg have obviously got a great history in Germany, they’ve never been in this situation before, so they’ll be wanting to become legends in their own right, and they’ll give absolutely everything to beat us and we’ll need to be at our best.”
Villa boss Unai Emery will be looking to win the Europa League for a record-extending fifth time and McGinn detailed the special bond he has with the coach, who has transformed the Premier League club since arriving in 2022.
He said: “I can’t speak highly enough of what he’s done here. He’s changed the belief of the place, the ambitions, almost single-handedly. His desire, work ethic, determination to succeed and the way he pushes us every single day. We’re very fortunate to have him here and hopefully, we can keep him here for as long as possible.
“Me and him have got a great relationship. He knows he can push me to the limits. He knows that he can trust me in any position that he decides. I think it’s important to have someone that’s got your best interests at heart. And like he always says: the best of me is the best of him.”
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