Villa's Europa final 'a hell of an achievement'
The club has played "incredibly well," says ex-Villa defender and European Cup winner Colin Gibson.
Footballer Colin Gibson was on the bench during Villa's European Cup game in 1982 [BBC] Reaching the final of the Europa League was a "hell of an achievement" for Aston Villa, according to former player Colin Gibson, who said he saw no reason why the team could not go on to win. Gibson, who lives in Worcester, was part of the Aston Villa squad that won the European Cup in 1982. Unai Emery's side will play in their first European final in 44 years on Wednesday evening, when they take on Germany's Freiburg in Istanbul.
Gibson, who made 185 appearances for Villa, said it would be a "tough game," but the team had played "incredibly well" throughout the tournament. "If you look at their performances, there's absolutely no reason why they can't win tonight," he said. Villa could take home their first major silverware for three decades .
Gibson, who has also played for Manchester United and Walsall, said there was always pressure and nerves during big games. "It's your team-mates, you don't want to let anybody down, you want to play well," he said. The defender also praised Villa boss Emery and said his eye for detail was "absolutely astonishing".
"There are many, many managers that have been brilliant for Aston Villa," he said, "but I tell you what, I've not seen a better manager [there] has been before than this manager. "They play to their strengths, the manager knows. " Aston Villa could take home their first major silverware in 30 years on Wednesday [Getty Images] Speaking of the club's European win against Bayern Munich in 1982, he told BBC Hereford and Worcester he accidentally "lost" the cup for a short time following the achievement.