Aston Villa's Europa League challengers have been making major moves this summer
Gian Piero Gasperini
Gian Piero Gasperini(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa will be determined to end their long wait for silverware as Unai Emery’s side targets Europa League glory.
It's a competition Emery knows better than most, having won it four times - three in succession with Sevilla and again in 2021 with Villarreal.
Villa qualified for the tournament after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season, though they were unfortunate not to secure a Champions League spot.
Despite a disappointing final-day performance against Manchester United, Morgan Rogers should have put Villa ahead with 15 minutes to play at Old Trafford - if not for a controversial refereeing decision.
It remains unclear which other Premier League club will join Villa in the Europa League, with Crystal Palace’s place reportedly under threat.
Reports suggest that if Lyon regain their place in Ligue 1, Palace could be replaced by Nottingham Forest due to John Textor’s prior involvement with both clubs.
Elsewhere in Europe, Lille have secured a spot in the Europa Conference League from Ligue 1, while Nice may join as a third French representative.
From Italy, Roma and Bologna have qualified for the Europa League, while German sides Stuttgart and Freiburg will also take part.
Spanish clubs Celta Vigo and Real Betis are through as well, and teams like Rangers, Feyenoord, and Fenerbahce are aiming to reach the league phase.
Portuguese giants Porto have already qualified and, alongside Roma, boast some of the strongest UEFA coefficient scores in the competition. Both clubs are expected to be among the leading contenders, along with Villa and several other challengers.
However, both Roma and Porto are undergoing significant changes this summer, having each appointed a new manager.
Serie A side Roma recently named former Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini as their new head coach, succeeding Claudio Ranieri.
Gasperini captured his first European trophy last year, guiding Atalanta to a 3–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final - the only defeat Leverkusen suffered all season during their unbeaten Bundesliga campaign under Xabi Alonso.
Porto, meanwhile, parted ways with Martin Anselmi after a disappointing second half of the domestic season and a poor showing in the Club World Cup.
The club finished third in the league, 11 points behind the champions, and managed just two points in their three Club World Cup matches against Palmeiras, Inter Miami, and Al Ahly.
On Sunday, Porto confirmed the appointment of Francesco Farioli. The Italian coach joins less than two months after leaving Ajax, where he spent one season. Ajax missed out on the Eredivisie title to PSV following a late-season collapse.
Farioli began his coaching career in Turkey and enjoyed a successful 2023–24 campaign with French side Nice, leading them to a fifth-place finish in Ligue 1.