'We'll go down in history' - Villa end trophy wait on momentous night

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Emery's previous four were already a competition record and while he dismissed the suggestion he was a European king, he is a serial winner.

Six finals, five wins with the latest cementing a legacy at Villa Park which will last decades.

Villa officials were nervous talking about the trophy parade in advance, which needed to be organised ahead of time given the disruption in Birmingham, but the squad will flaunt it in the city Thursday afternoon.

Emery said: "After 1982 the club won the European Cup, it was something they were missing - the supporters. A trophy. Achieving this one is making us so, so happy but we are not going to stop."

If Tielemans' volley - rounding off a short corner routine - gave them the platform then Buendia's curler into the top corner put one hand on the trophy.

Former Villa midfielder Ian Taylor, a fan of the club who scored in the 1996 League Cup win - the last time Villa had won major silverware - leaped out of his press box chair and punched the air.

Rogers' third had the substitutes celebrating on the pitch and an airborne Emery jumping on the touchline with clenched fists. Victory was assured.

"I feel amazing," Tielemans told TNT. "My voice is a bit gone but it's all good. We put in a shift, top performance we had a great season. to top it off with this 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.

"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."

Yet it was not without early nerves. Emi Martinez needed his right ring finger taped and treated in the warm up - evoking memories of Nigel Spink replacing Jimmy Rimmer after just nine minutes in the '82 final.

But those concerns evaporated, Villa were never in danger and the fans who packed Besiktas Park had already started celebrating by half-time.

Villa's official ticket allocation was 10,758 but 20,000 travelled to Turkey, they clearly outnumbered Freiburg's following and crammed into the bars and cafes off Istanbul's famous Taksim Square.

Among them in the stadium, Prince William who had already sent a message of good luck on social media and he watched on as Emery was hoisted on to Martinez's shoulders as Villa celebrated on the pitch.

Head of football operations Damian Vidagany held his hands on his head at the final whistle, signifying a release of pressure, before embracing Tielemans.

Martinez struggled to contain his emotions while co-owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens greeted the players before they collected their medals.

The future king filmed the trophy lift on his phone as Villa celebrated a milestone moment.

Rogers told TNT: "It's hard to put into words, we've worked so hard for this. We've delivered and come through. It's a great moment for the fans, great for the club. We'll go down in history."

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