Youri Tielemans has revealed that Aston Villa’s stunning Europa League final opener against Freiburg came from a move practised just once in training before their historic 3-0 victory.
Villa ended their 30-year wait for major silverware in emphatic fashion at the Besiktas Stadium on Wednesday, securing their first European trophy since 1982 under Unai Emery.
Tielemans set the tone late in the first half with a brilliantly-worked goal straight from the training ground. The Belgian midfielder timed his run perfectly to meet Morgan Rogers’ delivery from a short corner before unleashing a powerful volley from the edge of the area.
The 28-year-old admitted the routine had only been rehearsed the day before the final.
“I feel amazing. My voice is a bit gone but it’s all good,” Tielemans said after the match.
“We put in a shift, top performance, we had a great season. To top it off with this, it’s amazing.
“We only had one day to practise, we did it on Monday and it went brilliantly tonight. So happy.”
Villa doubled their lead moments before half-time when Emiliano Buendia curled a superb effort into the far corner from 18 yards, leaving Freiburg stunned.
Morgan Rogers then capped off the dominant performance with a second-half goal to seal a famous night for the Premier League side.
The victory completed a remarkable turnaround for Emery’s men, who also secured Champions League qualification last week despite a difficult start to the campaign.
Villa endured six winless matches early in the season and managed just two goals during that period, but Tielemans praised the squad’s resilience in turning their fortunes around.
“It’s amazing. It’s been a season with a lot of ups and downs. We started so, so bad. Our standards were very poor,” he said.
“The way we turned things around was a credit to the players and staff.
“We kept working, believing. We got the win in the end, Champions League next season and a trophy.”
England midfielder Morgan Rogers described the triumph as a historic moment for the club and its supporters.
“It’s hard to put into words, we’ve worked so hard for this. We’ve delivered and come through,” Rogers said.
“It’s a great moment for the fans, great for the club. We’ll go down in history.
“The manager has been banging on at me to get easier goals and get into the box. I’m happy I could get a toe onto it and score.”
