Villa’s Champions League Qualification a Special Day, Says Boss Emery 

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery after a Premier League match on May 13, 2024. (Reuters)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery after a Premier League match on May 13, 2024. (Reuters)
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Villa’s Champions League Qualification a Special Day, Says Boss Emery 

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery after a Premier League match on May 13, 2024. (Reuters)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery after a Premier League match on May 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery celebrated a "very special day" after the Premier League club clinched a spot in Europe's top-tier club-football competition for the first time since 1983 and said he is excited by the future of his team.

The West Midlands side secured the Champions League spot on Tuesday after Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City in the Premier League. Aston Villa had won the old European Cup, precursor to the Champions League, in 1982, but have not played in the continental competition for 41 years.

Villa are fourth in the Premier League standings with 68 points, five more than Tottenham, who sit fifth with one game to play. City are now within touching distance of an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title.

"It's a very special day today," Emery told Villa's website. "It was our dream when we started the season to be here. To play Champions League is, after the Premier League, the best.

"You can play in the Premier League against the best teams in the world, it's very difficult. When you are playing in the Champions League you are playing against the best teams, at the same time, from other countries. And it's amazing.

"And we are always responsible about the history here, we know the history of Aston Villa is so long and so successful. Even in the Champions League, before it was the European Cup, we knew the responsibility was to try to increase our level, try to be demanding and to dream.

"I want to enjoy more and, next year, now the new challenge starts for us. To build again a team, and being strong to go and always increase our level. This is our objective."

The confirmation of their top-four finish coincided with the club's End of Season Awards Dinner at Villa Park, where captain John McGinn also spoke on the achievement.

"On behalf of all the players, it's been an amazing season," the 29-year-old Scotland international said.

"We got promoted, we got into the Premier League and were seven points behind with four games to play, we managed to stay in the league.

"We kept building and thankfully we've achieved something we haven't done for 40 years. So, on behalf of all the players and staff, we're over the moon, we're delighted."

Villa will conclude their campaign with a trip on Sunday to in-form Crystal Palace, who are 12th in the league.



England Coach Tuchel Expects Players to Suffer in World Cup Heat 

 England - Thomas Tuchel Press Conference - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 14, 2025 England manager Thomas Tuchel during the press conference. (Action Images via Reuters)
England - Thomas Tuchel Press Conference - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 14, 2025 England manager Thomas Tuchel during the press conference. (Action Images via Reuters)
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England Coach Tuchel Expects Players to Suffer in World Cup Heat 

 England - Thomas Tuchel Press Conference - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 14, 2025 England manager Thomas Tuchel during the press conference. (Action Images via Reuters)
England - Thomas Tuchel Press Conference - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 14, 2025 England manager Thomas Tuchel during the press conference. (Action Images via Reuters)

England coach Thomas Tuchel will attend FIFA's Club World Cup starting this month to observe how players cope with the expected hot and humid weather conditions.

Next year's World Cup, taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, could be one of the hottest in the tournament's history.

"It is important to see matches now in America, and in Miami at three in the afternoon," Tuchel said as he prepared his team for their World Cup qualifier against Andorra in Barcelona.

"I will see that. How it looks, and we need to understand how to cool the players down, to drink. What our options are."

England are top of qualifying Group K and almost certain to qualify for next year's tournament where they will be among the favorites for the title.

But Tuchel says the conditions will be harsh.

"Let's see because it is after the season, so it will be very similar. The actual experience is for the players, but I have done pre-season there in Orlando and I will be very surprised if we do not suffer," he said.

"Suffering is one of the headlines for this World Cup."

England are preparing for the Andorra game in the Spanish city of Girona and are using heat tents to test the players reaction and recovery to training in heat and humidity.

Sixteen stadiums will be used at next year's World Cup with predictions of potentially extreme temperatures.

In Dallas, one of the host cities, in an average year more than 80% of June and July days exceed 28 degrees Celsius.

A study led by Brunel University found that, according to analysis of 20 years of weather data, 14 of the 16 host stadiums would top 28 degrees Celsius on a daily basis in June and July with four likely to hit 32 degrees in a hotter than summer.

FIFPRO, the world players union, recommends that if there is Wet Bulb Globe Temperature of between 28-32 degree, cooling breaks should take place around the 30th and 75th minutes.

It says that if there is a WBGT of more than 32 degrees, training and matches should be rescheduled.