Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is looking to secure his first Super Cup title as his side prepares to face Champions League winners Paris St-Germain at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg this Wednesday. Despite his reputation as a master of the Europa League, the Super Cup has remained elusive for the Spanish coach throughout his career.
Emery won a fifth European title with Aston Villa in May, with their victory over Freiburg in Istanbul finally ending a 30-year trophy drought. However, the Super Cup has continued to evade him. He has suffered three previous defeats in the competition: two while managing Sevilla and one with Villarreal, where he lost on penalties to Chelsea in Dublin in 2021.
His history in the competition is marked by narrow margins. A 5-4 extra-time loss to a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona in 2015 came a year after Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to earn Real Madrid the trophy against Emery’s Sevilla. Ancelotti’s third title came when his Real side beat Emery’s Sevilla in 2014. By the time Sevilla contested the 2016 final against Real Madrid, Emery had already departed for Paris St-Germain.
Last season, Emery declared he wanted to seal third place in the Premier League, a feat he had not yet achieved with Villa. Finishing fourth was not a failure, but it will have rankled with the perfectionist manager. He approaches the Super Cup with a similar mindset, viewing it as a vital opportunity to test his squad against elite opposition.
Reflecting on the challenge, Emery noted that Villa captain John McGinn had been reminding him of his previous loss to Chelsea. “Of course, it’s an opportunity. A trophy is something that can give us a special moment. To play for trophies is, as a professional, our objective,” Emery said. “PSG are the favourites but I am looking forward to playing, how we can test this match against PSG with our capacity? As a coach, as a player, as a club, it’s a trophy. It’s one thing that makes us proud of how we are and how we arrive here.”
The competition remains a point of debate regarding its status, with some questioning if it is merely a glamorous pre-season friendly. However, PSG players remain focused on the silverware. Midfielder Vitinha, a four-time Ligue 1 winner, dismissed suggestions that the Champions League holders treat the match lightly, despite a short pre-season. Defender Marquinhos echoed this sentiment, insisting the club is hungry for more trophies despite recent successes.
Wednesday’s fixture serves as a rematch of the 2024-25 Champions League quarter-final. Villa narrowly exited that tie 5-4 on aggregate after a spirited 3-2 home win, a performance that highlighted their growth under Emery. PSG players remain wary of the threat posed by the English side, with Vitinha recalling the difficulty of that encounter.
Villa’s squad for the match in Austria will look significantly different from the one that faced PSG 484 days ago. Key departures include Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, and Youri Tielemans, while Amadou Onana is sidelined until next year due to injury. Furthermore, Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins have not traveled following their World Cup commitments, as Emery granted them a month of rest.
These absences mean there is a strong possibility that only four starters from that previous Champions League clash will feature on Wednesday. Five of the substitutes from that night have also left the club. For a team that has been defined by consistency under Emery, this represents a drastic turnover in personnel.
Captain John McGinn acknowledged the rapid evolution of the squad. “A lot has changed in the eight years I’ve been here,” McGinn noted. The club continues to prioritize signing top young English talent and maintaining high performance levels, even as the roster undergoes transition.
Off the pitch, preparations have not been without friction. PSG reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the size of their dressing room at the Red Bull Arena, leading UEFA to provide an additional facility. Such logistical hurdles are unlikely to distract from the intensity expected on the pitch.
With 6,000 traveling Villa fans expected in Salzburg, Emery has a prime opportunity to finally break his Super Cup losing streak. While PSG are considered favorites, the match represents a significant benchmark for Villa as they continue to establish themselves among Europe’s elite clubs.
PSG midfielder Vitinha, who has won four Ligue 1 titles with the club, dismissed any suggestion the back-to-back Champions League winners treat it any differently, but did say PSG’s “pre-season was a little short”.
It’s very difficult to maintain those levels but we’re still hungry,” said the Portugal international.
“Just because we’ve won things these past seasons, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
But, much like Sunday’s Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City, is it not a glamorous pre-season friendly with a trophy?
We know there’ll be plenty of obstacles,” he said.
“Personally, I want more, and each player in the squad is like that.
We’ve all worked to get here, to arrive in the best condition.”
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Parc des Princes and falling 5-1 behind on aggregate in Birmingham, Villa were so close to pulling of a huge shock.
They roared back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 on the night, eventually bowing out 5-4 on aggregate, and it was one of the biggest signs Emery had turned them into a side which could compete with Europe’s best.
“It was such a difficult test, especially the second half,” said Vitinha.
“We’ll be ready but we’re conscious of how difficult it’s going to be.”
Villa’s line-up in Austria will have a drastically different look, just 484 days since that game.
Fellow midfielder Boubacar Kamara is in the squad, but is only just returning from a serious knee injury he suffered in January.
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