Aston Villa are enjoying their best European run since 1982, with Unai Emery aiming for their first major trophy since 1996. Their PSG clash holds personal significance for Emery, and with potential earnings over £70m, Villa’s success is historic on and off the pitch.
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00:00Aston Villa are enjoying their best European campaign since the glory years of the 1980s
00:08when they shocked the football world by winning the European Cup against Bayern Munich under
00:14Tony Barton.
00:17Back then Villa were massive underdogs heading into the final and they find themselves in
00:22a similar position now under Unai Emery.
00:26The Spanish coach is no stranger to European competition having won four Europa League
00:32titles across spells with Sevilla and Villarreal while also reaching the final with Arsenal.
00:41Now he aims to defy expectations again and lead Villa to their first major trophy since
00:461996.
00:47Emery has yet to win the Champions League as manager but his quarter-final clash with
00:53PSG carries extra weight.
00:56His tenure at the French club ended in disappointment particularly after the infamous 6-1 defeat
01:03to Barcelona in 2017 under Luis Enrique.
01:08With redemption on his mind Emery will be eager to prove a point against his former
01:12side ahead of the highly anticipated tie.
01:16Here's what the Villa boss had to say about the challenge.
01:21Of course to play quarter-final is fantastic, it's fantastic, very excited, very motivated
01:28against everything we were expecting to play.
01:33Of course to play against PSG is very difficult, they show their capacity playing against Liverpool.
01:39It's been a really huge, huge challenge for us to be the club, for the supporters, for
01:48the players, for the coaches and for me as well.
01:52And there's more at stake.
01:53Reaching the semi-finals brings another £12m while runners-up receive £15.6m.
01:59The ultimate prize, £21m for lifting the trophy.
02:04If Villa go all the way their earnings could soar past £70m for the campaign, a historic
02:10achievement both on and off the pitch.