Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery dedicated his team’s Champions League victory over Young Boys to the club’s former striker Gary Shaw, who died on Monday.
Villa returned to Europe’s premier club competition after a 41-year absence with a three-goal away win at the Swiss, a day after the death of 63-year-old Shaw, who won the European Cup with the club in 1982.
Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana all scored goals for Villa, who also had two goals disallowed by the video referee for handballs.
“This win is for Gary Shaw,” Emery told TNT Sports after the game.
GO DEEPER
Gary Shaw: Former Aston Villa striker dies at the age of 63
“We can continue our journey in the Champions League by winning like they did 42 years ago and we want to celebrate this victory and dedicate it to Gary and the whole Aston Villa family.”
Villa’s players wore black armbands in memory of Shaw, while Emery said before the match: “We always have a memory, there is a picture on our training ground from 1982 and the European Cup, he was a protagonist of that. Yes, I find it sad and we can use it as motivation.”
Strikers Ollie Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran also scored for Emery’s team, but their efforts were disallowed, with the head coach suggesting the two strikers could play alongside each other.
“Ollie and John Duran can play together, but today we used them separately and gave each of them a large amount of playing time,” said Emery.
“Of course we need both of them during the season, whether together or individually.”
Commenting on the win in Switzerland, Emery added: “Away games in Europe are always difficult, as our experience last year shows.
“We kept pushing through as the game went on and showed our competitiveness. We always try to qualify for the Champions League and play there, we are in it. We need to feel strong and comfortable as a team outside of Villa Park.”
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Skipping school, exam problems and family disputes – Villa’s victory in the 1982 European Cup final from the fans’ perspective
(Christian Kaspar-Bartke – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
