Aston Villa’s Rotterdam return stirs the emotion for Unai Emery
Aston Villa return to the scene of their greatest triumph on Thursday with boss Unai Emery admitting their Rotterdam date with Feyenoord is “something very special”.
Villa were crowned European champions at Feyenoord’s De Kuip Stadium in 1982 when Peter Withe converted Tony Morley’s cross for an unforgettable 1-0 triumph over Bayern Munich.
Over four decades on, Villa are back in the Dutch city seeking to build confidence further after beating Bologna in their Europa League opener and brushing aside Fulham on Sunday to claim a first Premier League win of the season.
“In 1982 Aston Villa won here,” Emery said, beginning his pre-match press conference in Rotterdam.
“Last year we played against Bayern Munich, the team they faced. That was something very special.
“Today we can remember this for our supporters. A lot of them were here, and we are now back.
“We need to show and to get emotions. We have to feel it. We have to feel history and the present, so we can create something.
“Each player too. I feel it. This is European football, something special.”
Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord dropped down to the Europa League after failing to make the group stages of the Champions League.
Robin van Persie’s side were beaten by Fenerbahce in the Champions League qualifiers and lost their Europa League opener at Portuguese side Braga 1-0.
But Feyenoord are unbeaten in domestic action after seven games and hold a three-point lead over second-placed PSV Eindhoven.
Emery said: “We are respecting them as well because they won the European Cup in 1970 and the UEFA Cup as well.
“Of course, the atmosphere here is so, so close for European football because Feyenoord are always in the Champions League or Europa League.
“Feyenoord performed fantastically in the Champions League last season, and every team who played them here were struggling.
“I managed here myself for Sevilla (in November 2014), and we lost 2-0.
“I know this environment is really supporting them and acts like another player for them.
“We have to dominate through our personality and try to stop them. We have to be focused for 90 minutes and respect them as the first idea we have.”
Emery said he is confident he has “enough players to get a collective performance and compete” in what is sure to be a fiery atmosphere but Villa are without key personnel.
Jadon Sancho trained on Wednesday morning but is still unavailable after missing the Fulham win through sickness.
Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, Andres Garcia, Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings also remain absent.
