Aston Villa's flawless start in Champions League return after 41-year hiatus

Villa manager Unai Emery motivated his team to secure a victory in Bern in honor of the late club legend Gary Shaw, who tragically passed away on September 16th at the age of 63 following a fall. Emery urged his players to take all three points as a fitting tribute to Shaw's legacy and contribution to the club.

Shaw’s tragic death carried extra poignancy as he was a key member of the Villa side that shocked Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final.

A picture of Shaw celebrating Peter Withe’s winner against Bayern adorns Villa’s training ground and the players wore black armbands during their Champions League opener in memory of the local hero.

Clad in the number eight shirt that Shaw made his own at Villa, it was fitting that Youri Tielemans opened the scoring against Young Boys and celebrated by pointing to his jersey.

Jacob Ramsey bagged Villa’s second goal before the interval and Amadou Onana added the third in the closing stages as Emery’s men eased to a victory four decades in the making.

“Of course we want to dedicate this victory to Gary Shaw, his family and all of the Aston Villa family,” Emery said.

“Forty-two years (ago) they achieved winning the Champions League. We want to try and follow what that team achieved.”

Villa are back in the Champions League after surprisingly finishing fourth in the Premier League last term.

Clashes with Bayern Munich and Juventus await among their remaining seven fixtures in the revamped league stage of the competition.

But this cathartic victory will forever hold a special place for Villa fans given their remarkable return to relevance since Emery was hired to replace the sacked Steven Gerrard in 2022.

Just five years ago, Villa were stuck in English football’s second tier, with dreams of facing Europe’s elite reserved for only the most optimistic supporters.