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Europe is once again focusing on the heart of England, as two former European Cup champions, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, aim to reach the Europa League final.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Morgan Rogers
More than half a century has passed since Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa reached the pinnacle of European football by winning the European Cup. It has been much less time since they regained their top-flight status and returned to the Premier League. But tonight, Europe turns its attention to the Midlands for the first leg of the Europa League semifinals.
“This week I went to the city center and saw a large statue dedicated to Brian Clough. I’m not thinking about a statue. But we can imagine what he did for this city,” recalled Vitor Pereira in the pre-match buildup, referencing the manager who, in just two seasons, took Nottingham Forest from the English second division to becoming back-to-back European champions in 1979 and 1980.
Just two years later, in the 1981-82 edition, it was Aston Villa who lifted the trophy, defeating a formidable Bayern Munich side. That explains the excitement expressed by Unai Emery, who has reached his seventh Europa League semifinal in eight appearances and is chasing a fifth title in the competition.
“This is a very important match. Nottingham Forest won the European Cup twice, and we also have ours, even if they aren’t recent. Both of us want to keep doing something important.” The Midlands are once again at the center of attention on the Old Continent.
Stepping up as LaLiga’s executioners
Sporting Braga and Freiburg caused major upsets in the Europa League quarterfinals by eliminating Betis and Celta, respectively, seriously jeopardizing LaLiga’s chances of securing the fifth spot that would grant access to next season’s Champions League.
“We feel butterflies in our stomachs,” confessed Carlos Vicens, who dreams of taking his ‘Spanish’ Braga to a Europa League final for the first time since 2011, when they lost to Villas-Boas, Falcao, and company’s Porto. “We have to know how to control them and maintain emotional stability,” he emphasized.
Freiburg, meanwhile, must recover from the elimination they suffered in the Pokal semifinals just a week ago. “All my family and friends are from here (Freiburg). That makes it very special, and we don’t want it to end here,” stressed defender Matthias Ginter.
Arda Turan has a mission
The last time Shakhtar reached a European final, they won the UEFA trophy in 2009 under Mircea Lucescu, who passed away just a few weeks ago. Arda Turan aspires to do the same. From his forced exile in Krakow, he has the mission of guiding his team to the Conference League final. Crystal Palace, the clear favorite to win the title, will not make it easy. “They are a team with great potential. In December, I went to their stadium and dreamed that we would face each other,” admitted the former Atlético player.