Emery on Onana: A New Era...

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery addressed the media ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League final against Freiburg, set to kick off at 20:00 BST in Istanbul.

Here are the highlights from his press conference:

A decision regarding Amadou Onana‘s fitness will be made on Wednesday. Emery confirmed that the midfielder participated in training on Monday and is expected to train again later on Tuesday.
Emery expressed hope that this represents “a new moment and hopefully, a new era” for the club.
Regarding the pressure of the match, he stated, “We must try to understand the pressure as something positive, not negative, and the pressure comes from playing for something important.”
He noted that the team “has played enough matches in Europe” to feel capable of winning a European trophy, emphasizing the importance of those experiences.
On the prospect of victory, he remarked, “This is a new challenge we have together. We are confident. The players are here because they deserve it.”
Emery urged his players to “play with personality and confidence” while also emphasizing the need to “play with intensity.”
Reflecting on the team’s poor start to the Premier League season and recent revival, he said, “We started poorly for various reasons, but the players’ response during tough times was remarkable. I was very concerned—trying to find solutions.”
He acknowledged their resilience, stating they succeeded by being “mature, responsible, and professional,” attributing their current success to their collective hard work and unity.