Aston Villa have secured a historic qualification for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s modern era after Tottenham Hotspur suffered a defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday. With Tottenham being the only team capable of overtaking Unai Emery’s side for fourth place in the Premier League, Villa now hold a five-point advantage with just one game remaining, confirming their place in Europe’s elite club competition.
This marks Villa’s first appearance in the Champions League since the tournament was rebranded from the European Cup in the 1991-92 season. The club last competed in Europe’s premier competition 41 years ago, during the 1982-83 European Cup campaign, having famously won the trophy the previous season.
While Aston Villa did achieve second and fourth-place finishes in the Premier League in 1992-93 and 1995-96 respectively, only the champions qualified for the Champions League in those seasons. Now, after decades away from the competition, Villa will return to Europe’s biggest stage under Emery, aiming to make a mark among the continent’s top clubs.
