Aston Villa marked their return to the Champions League with a 3-0 win against Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday, their first game in the tournament in 41 years. Villa boss Unai Emery had urged his team to secure three points in Bern as a tribute to the club’s former striker Gary Shaw, who passed away on Monday aged 63 after a fall. Shaw was a key member of the Villa side that defeated Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final.
A picture of Shaw celebrating Peter Withe’s winner against Bayern adorns Villa’s training ground, and the players wore black armbands during their Champions League opener in his memory. Wearing the number eight shirt that Shaw made his own, Youri Tielemans opened the scoring and celebrated by pointing to his jersey. Jacob Ramsey scored Villa’s second goal before halftime, and Amadou Onana added the third in the closing stages, ensuring a memorable victory for Villa.
Villa’s return to the Champions League comes after a surprising fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season. Their remaining fixtures include matches against Bayern Munich and Juventus. This victory holds a special place for Villa fans, highlighting the club’s remarkable resurgence since Emery took over in 2022, transforming Villa from the English second tier to European competition.