Emery Pursues First Super Cup

Unai Emery is undeniably the master of the Europa League.

In May, he captured his fifth title with Aston Villa, ending a 30-year trophy drought after defeating Freiburg in Istanbul. However, the Super Cup has remained out of his grasp.

On Wednesday in Salzburg, Emery will aim for his fourth attempt at clinching this title, as Villa goes head-to-head with Champions League champions Paris St-Germain.

Last season, Emery expressed his goal of finishing in third place in the Premier League, a milestone he had yet to achieve with Villa.

While finishing fourth wasn’t a failure, it surely would have frustrated the perfectionist in Emery.

The Super Cup will carry the same weight for him, but does this competition hold genuine significance or is it merely a glorified friendly?

Three Consecutive Super Cup Losses

Emery has faced defeats in three consecutive Super Cups: against Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea. The first two were with Sevilla, and he subsequently lost on penalties to Chelsea while coaching Villarreal in 2021.

A 5-4 extra-time defeat to Barcelona, fueled by Lionel Messi, took place in 2015, just one year after Cristiano Ronaldo‘s two goals secured the trophy for Real Madrid.

Emery had already departed for PSG by the time Sevilla lost to Real in the 2016 Super Cup.

Now, at the Red Bull Arena, with 6,000 Villa fans in attendance, he has an opportunity to turn his luck around.

“He [referring to Villa captain John McGinn] reminded me last week about our loss to Chelsea,” Emery stated.

“This is certainly an opportunity. Winning a trophy can create special moments. Competing for trophies is what we aim for as professionals.

“PSG are the favorites, but I’m eager to see how we measure up against them.”

“As a coach, as players, and as a club, this trophy is something that symbolizes our progress and achievements.”

Is Winning the Super Cup Significant?

Carlo Ancelotti boasts five Super Cup titles—two with AC Milan and three with Real Madrid—while Pep Guardiola follows closely with four, gained through two wins with Barcelona and one each with Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

Ancelotti’s third Super Cup title came when his Real side defeated Emery’s Sevilla in 2014.

However, akin to the recent Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City, one wonders whether it’s merely an extravagant pre-season exhibition disguised as a trophy match.

PSG midfielder Vitinha, a four-time Ligue 1 champion with the club, rejected any notion that the back-to-back Champions League victors approach it with any less seriousness, though he noted PSG’s “pre-season was a bit brief.”

“We remain hungry for victories and trophies. It’s not easy to maintain such high levels, but our desire endures,” said the Portugal international.

Defender Marquinhos emphasized that the competition is significant to ensure PSG continues winning trophies, despite their recent grievances regarding the size of their Red Bull Arena dressing room.

“Winning doesn’t guarantee success going forward. We know challenges lie ahead,” he remarked.

“Personally, I crave more, as does every player on the squad. We’ve all strived to be here in the best possible condition.”

Luis Enrique and Maghnes Akliouche — PSG manager Luis Enrique celebrated winning the Super Cup with the club for the first time last year [Getty Images]

Excitement for the New Aston Villa

Wednesday’s clash between Villa and PSG recalls their Champions League quarter-final matchup from the 2024-25 season.

After losing 3-1 in the first leg at Parc des Princes and falling to a 5-1 deficit in Birmingham, Villa produced a remarkable comeback, winning 3-2 on the night but ultimately exiting with a 5-4 aggregate score. This performance highlighted Emery’s success in transforming them into contenders amongst Europe’s elite.

This is fresh in the minds of the PSG players, with Vitinha acknowledging Villa’s capabilities. “It was a very challenging match, especially the second half,” he said.

“We will be prepared, but we understand the task ahead will be tough.”

The line-up for Villa in Austria will look markedly different, just 484 days since that remarkable match.

Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, and Youri Tielemans have all left the club, while Amadou Onana is sidelined by injury until next year.

Midfielder Boubacar Kamara will be in the squad but is just returning from a serious knee injury sustained in January.

Players like Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins did not make the trip after participating in the World Cup, with Emery providing them with a month’s rest.

This means that only four of the starters from that game against the French champions will be likely to start for Villa. Furthermore, five substitutes from that encounter have also left the club.

For a team that has consistently displayed stability and performance under Emery, this shift represents a significant change.

“Much has transformed in the eight years I’ve been here,” Captain McGinn remarked.

“When you attract the best young English talent and elevate player performance, interest will naturally follow.

“We have established a solid structure, standards, and protocols that have fueled our success. I am genuinely excited about the new Aston Villa.

“We have retained our core, the same coaching staff, methods, and an unrelenting drive to achieve even more. Many believed we had reached our limit a couple of seasons ago, but we proved them wrong.”