Unai Emery Targets UEFA Super Cup Glory as Depleted Aston Villa Prepare for PSG Showdown

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 — Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is determined to continue the club’s rise by adding another major European trophy when his side face Paris Saint-Germain in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, despite travelling to Austria with a significantly depleted squad.

The Premier League club will meet the reigning Champions League winners at Stadion Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday, August 12, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm Central European Time (CET). The traditional European season curtain-raiser brings together the winners of the Champions League and Europa League.

Villa earned their place in the Super Cup after defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League final in May, a victory that ended the club’s 30-year wait for a major trophy. It was also Emery’s record-extending fifth Europa League triumph as a manager.

The success represented Villa’s first major silverware since winning the League Cup in 1996 and their first continental title since their celebrated European achievements in the early 1980s. Villa won the European Cup in 1982 before defeating Barcelona 3-1 on aggregate to claim their only previous UEFA Super Cup.

After four years at Aston Villa, Emery believes the mentality within the club has changed considerably, with players embracing the standards and ambitions established by his coaching staff.

Speaking ahead of the match in Salzburg, the Spanish coach made clear that last season’s achievements would not reduce Villa’s appetite for further success. He said the club wants to keep raising its standards rather than treating the Europa League triumph as the end of its journey.

Winning in Salzburg would also represent a significant personal achievement for Emery.

Despite his remarkable record in the Europa League, the 54-year-old has never won the UEFA Super Cup, having fallen short in three previous attempts. PSG manager Luis Enrique, meanwhile, is seeking to successfully defend the trophy after leading the French club to victory in the 2025 edition.

PSG defeated Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in last year’s Super Cup after recovering from two goals down to draw 2-2. Victory over Villa would make PSG only the third club to win successive editions of the trophy, following AC Milan and Real Madrid.

Villa’s preparations have been complicated by substantial changes during the summer transfer window.

Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans has joined Manchester United, while England international Morgan Rogers completed a move to Chelsea for a British-record transfer fee.

Jadon Sancho and Douglas Luiz have also left Villa, while French full-back Lucas Digne made the switch to PSG, leaving Emery with a considerably different squad from the one that lifted the Europa League trophy in May.

Injuries have created additional problems. Midfielder Amadou Onana and new signing Johan Manzambi will not be available for the Super Cup.

Villa will also be without Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins, who were involved at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and have been given additional recovery time following their extended seasons. Aston Villa separately confirmed the trio would miss the PSG encounter.

Emery stressed that giving those players sufficient rest was necessary and indicated that Villa would approach the final with the squad currently available to him.

Emery noted that PSG are dealing with similar circumstances after their players also endured demanding domestic, European and international schedules.

Rather than focusing on the unavailable names, the Villa manager said his team must maximise the quality of the players available and compete with the same ambition that powered their Europa League campaign.

The challenge will be substantial.

PSG enter the fixture as reigning UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup holders, while Villa arrive as Europa League champions seeking to strengthen their return to Europe’s elite.

The clubs are already familiar with each other following their dramatic 2024/25 Champions League quarter-final, when PSG eventually progressed 5-4 on aggregate despite a spirited Villa comeback.

For Emery, Wednesday’s final represents another stage in Aston Villa’s wider transformation.

The manager said improved results and strategic player sales have allowed Villa to increase their financial strength and enhance the club’s global profile. He also acknowledged that the progress creates greater responsibility for both himself and his players.

A victory over PSG would provide further evidence of that progress and deliver Villa their second UEFA Super Cup, more than four decades after their first triumph.

Despite missing several established stars, Emery’s message ahead of the Salzburg clash remains clear: Aston Villa’s ambitions have not changed.

With PSG chasing consecutive Super Cup titles and Villa attempting to build on their historic Europa League success, the contest at Stadion Salzburg is set to provide an early major test for two clubs entering the new European season with silverware already within reach.