Aston Villa 'want to build a new history' - Unai Emery ready for 'a lot of emotion' ahead of Bayern Munich showdown

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After leading Aston Villa back to the top tier of European football for the first time since the 1980s, manager Unai Emery wants to "build a new history" by keeping them there. That is what the manager said in an exclusive interview ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League clash with "one of the favourites" Bayern Munich, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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Unai Emery said Aston Villa can “build a new history” by proving they can compete consistently in the UEFA Champions League ahead of a huge game against a Bayern Munich side he regards as “one of the favourites” to win the trophy.

Villa host the German giants on Wednesday night, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, in what will be the first game staged at Villa Park in European football’s top competition for 41 years.

The Birmingham club have not graced this level since a run to the quarter-finals of the then-European Cup in 1983/84, two years after they defeated Bayern in the final to win the competition for the first and only time in their history.

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That night and result looms large in the long history of Aston Villa, but manager Emery told TNT Sports that his ambition is to ensure the club’s return to the top table is not a flash in the pan.

“We are starting to build and playing in the Champions League is one of the consequences. The work we are doing since I arrived here, the process we are doing, is to try and get something natural about playing the best teams,” Emery said.

“Of course, we are playing against the best teams here in the Premier League. And we are playing against some teams in the Champions League who are favourites to win this competition.

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“When we played in the Conference League [last season], it was against very good teams, but it was not the best competition for the best clubs in the world. This year, like tomorrow, we are facing the best teams in the world.

“For supporters, to face Bayern Munich is even more important because the last match in the European Cup in 1982 was winning the final against them.

“There is a lot of emotion we can have tomorrow. But the coaches, the players, the supporters, while we are trying always to respect history, we want to build a new history.

“A new history is to play in Europe consistently and being consistent in the Champions League.”

Emery has achieved a lot in a short space of time in Birmingham.

The former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain coach replaced Steven Gerrard as Villa manager in October 2022 and immediately helped the club qualify for its first European campaign in 13 years with a seventh-place finish.

Things got even better last term when the Villans stormed to an unexpected fourth-place finish to qualify for the Champions League, while reaching the Conference League semi-finals.

But Emery, who has an impressive European pedigree after winning the Europa League with Sevilla three times, wants the recent level of achievement to become the norm.

“I’ve been [coaching] in Europe for over 16 years. Playing in the Conference League, Europa League, Champions League. Of course, there is pressure in each competition, like it’s something important because it’s Europe,” Emery said.

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“Here at Aston Villa, it’s the second year and already I’m very proud of the work we’re doing because I’m not rushing to play as a coach in Europe in one year.

“With Aston Villa we are being consistent at the moment to play in Europe, and this is the objective I want to try to keep for a long time.

“When we are in each competition, like now in the Champions League, try to enjoy it, try to get good feelings for our supporters. Villa Park will be something special, try to transmit positive energy. But we have to work, we have to be clinical with our game preparation.”

Bayern 'one of the most difficult' opponents

The visit of Bayern is a daunting prospect after the German giants, six-time winners of the competition, opened their campaign by hammering Dinamo Zagreb 9-2.

England captain Harry Kane scored four goals in that game and is one of several big-name stars in the visitors’ squad, but Emery insists his ambition is to take the game to the Munich club.

“They are favourites in this competition with maybe Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus or Inter from Italy and in England, Manchester City, Liverpool or Arsenal. There are already six or eight favourites to win this trophy, and we are going to face one of them,” Emery said.

“Of course, my idea is to win. But how? Facing them with our own identity. Ready to show our best performance with our identity and our style. The players have to try to feel comfortable getting some duels against them and being successful in 90 minutes.”

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Villa got their European campaign off to a strong start by beating Young Boys of Switzerland 3-0, but with seven games left to go in the revamped league phase structure, there is no time to lose for Emery.

“Our objective is to compete, to get the best position in the table. Tomorrow, the idea is to win, to get three points,” he said.

“We started very well winning the first match, but this competition is difficult. We are going to face eight teams and each of them is very difficult. Tomorrow is one of the most difficult matches you can face in this competition.

“But we are playing for every point in the eight matches. Against Bayern Munich, I don’t want to waste our time.”

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