Aston Villa have competed in various continental tournaments or competition in Europe a number of times but not in all of them.
Aston Villa are set to fly to Istanbul for their second continental final in the club’s history. Villa have also sealed one spot in the Champions League next season following their 4-2 win over Liverpool yesterday. It is their fourth consecutive season taking part in the European competition after missing out for more than a decade.
Throughout history, there have been five kinds of competitions in Europe. The top-tier one is the UEFA Champions League. Previously, it was called Champions Cup and European Cup. The second tier was the UEFA Winners Cup, but now it has become the Europa League, which was initially a merged competition from the Winners Cup and the UEFA Cup.
The third tier is currently the UEFA Conference League, a brand-new competition formed by the European football governing body in 2022. In the past, the UEFA Cup was the continental third division. The fourth kind was the Intertoto Cup. It was more of a summer tournament that served as a UEFA Cup qualifying round. The last one is the UEFA Super Cup.
The Villans have participated in all those but one, the UEFA Winners Cup, which was once represented by the major domestic cup winner from 1960 to 1999. Meanwhile, the one in which the Lions competed the most frequently was the UEFA Cup.
The Midlands side have played 19 times on the continent with two pieces of silverware in hand. Their first game in Europe was in the 1975/76 season against Royal Antwerp, which unfortunately they could not easily pass the Belgian side. They were even humiliated by a 5-1 loss on aggregate. Here are Aston Villa’s campaigns in each of the European competitions they have been in throughout history.
Intertoto Cup
Aston Villa qualified for this competition four times, in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2009. A team could seal a berth in the Intertoto Cup by finishing sixth or seventh in the standings or by being a runner-up in domestic cups, with the prize of securing three spots in the UEFA Cup main stages.
During their participation, Villa managed to become a winner in two editions, 2002 and 2009, which was the last one before being abolished. However, winning this tournament only meant a ticket to play in the UEFA Cup’s proper stages. So, it is not considered a reputable major competitor but rather a minor one instead.
UEFA Conference League
Villa only participated in this competition once in the 2023/24 campaign. Unai Emery’s men managed to progress to the semifinal. Yet, they were defeated by the eventual champion, Olympiacos Piraeus, in a 6-2 loss on aggregate.
UEFA Cup and Europa League
The Villa have represented England 12 times in this competition, including this season. This year is undoubtedly their best campaign in the continental second tier competition as Unai Emery’s men could eventually lift the trophy and end their 30-year title drought in the midweek.
Previously, their best campaigns were in 1977/78 and 1997/98. In the former edition, Ron Saunders guided his team to the quarterfinal before losing to Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate. In the latter edition, Brian Little’s side cruised to the same stage only to be beaten by another La Liga outfit, Atletico Madrid, by away goal rules, as both teams had a 2-2 tie on aggregate.
Champions League and European Cup
The Birmingham side have competed in this continental top-flight competition three times, in 1982, 1983 and the 2025 season. Their best campaign was undoubtedly the 1981/82, as Gordon Cowans and Co. were able to lift the trophy after thumping the German giant, Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, their last campaign last season only ended in the quarterfinals.
UEFA Super Cup
Aston Villa could only participate once as the European Cup winner in 1982. The Villans surprisingly clinched the title after crushing Barcelona 3-1 on aggregate. The matches were held in two legs instead of in the neutral venue like today.