Emery chases first Super Cup - but does it matter?

What the report says

Aston Villa are in the Super Cup for the first time since 1982, and manager Unai Emery is chasing the competition after three previous final defeats. According to BBC Sport Football, Villa meet Champions League winners Paris St-Germain in Salzburg on Wednesday, giving Emery another chance to add a trophy to a career already strongly associated with the Europa League.

The report says Emery has lost Super Cup finals against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea, including one with Villarreal on penalties in 2021. He described the match as an opportunity and said trophies are the goal of any professional team. The article also notes that some observers see the Super Cup as closer to a showcase match than a major competitive honour, similar to England’s Community Shield, but both managers and players involved stressed that the game still matters.

BBC Sport highlighted that Villa’s side looks very different from the team that narrowly lost to PSG in the 2024-25 Champions League quarter-finals. Several players from that tie have left, some are injured, and others have been given time off after international duty. Captain John McGinn said the club has changed a lot but still has the same manager, methods and ambition. The fixture is important because it offers Villa a chance to test themselves against elite opposition and, for Emery, to end a long Super Cup losing run.