Aston Villa captain John McGinn has issued a powerful rallying cry to his teammates, challenging them to cement their legacy by ending the club's three-decade-long trophy drought with a Europa League triumph. The midfielder emphasized the need to move beyond the 'nearly men' narrative that has followed the squad.
Villa secured their spot in the Europa League final with a commanding 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, overturning a first-leg deficit to win 4-1 on aggregate. This result sends them to Istanbul on May 20, where they will face German side Freiburg in a bid to lift their first major piece of silverware since the 1996 League Cup.
The final represents Villa's first appearance in a major European showpiece event since their historic European Cup victory in 1982, a gap of 44 years. McGinn, who scored twice in the semi-final second leg, spoke about the immense pressure and the electric atmosphere at their home ground during the decisive match.
"The margins are so slim - if we lose tonight, then we are the nearly men," McGinn told TNT Sports. "When we go to Istanbul in 10 days, we need to make sure that we are not the nearly men. It's about embracing it and trying to become legends."
The captain pointed to the club's storied history, referencing the heroes of 1982 and the cup-winning sides of the 1990s, as inspiration for the current group. He acknowledged the club's journey through significant lows, including relegation, and its subsequent rebuild, stating that Villa "deserves success."
The path to the final was not without its challenges. Villa entered the crucial semi-final second leg on the back of three consecutive defeats, which had drawn criticism for both the players and manager Unai Emery. However, the team delivered a performance of the highest caliber when it mattered most.
Manager Unai Emery brings a wealth of experience to the final, having previously won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal—a record in the competition. He also reached the final with Arsenal, though the Gunners were defeated by Chelsea in Baku.
McGinn expressed his belief that this squad, which has previously overcome high-pressure situations like promotion battles and relegation fights, deserves to take the final step. He described the semi-final victory as one of the best performances he has witnessed from a Villa team in a long time.
Based on reporting from SkySports | News.