Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery dedicated his side’s Champions League victory at Young Boys to the club’s former striker Gary Shaw, who died on Monday.
Villa returned to Europe’s premier club competition after a 41-year absence with a three-goal victory away to the Swiss side, coming a day after the death of Shaw, 63, who won the 1982 European Cup with the club.
Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana all scored for Villa, who also had two goals disallowed by VAR following handballs.
“This victory is for Gary Shaw,” Emery told TNT Sports after the match.
“We can follow our path in the Champions League by winning like they finished it 42 years ago and we want to celebrate this victory and to dedicate it to Gary, and for all the family of Aston Villa.”
Strikers Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, a substitute, were also both on target for Emery’s side but saw their efforts disallowed — with the head coach suggesting that both forwards could play alongside each other.
“Ollie and John Duran can play together, but today we have used them separately and given them each large parts of the game,” Emery said.
“Of course we need them both during the season, whether it is together or individually.”
Emery added of the win in Switzerland: “Away in Europe is always difficult, as our experiences last year show.
“We imposed ourselves progressively throughout the match and our capacity to compete. We are always trying to qualify for and play in the Champions League, we are in this process. We have to feel strong and comfortable, as a team, away from Villa Park.”
(Christian Kaspar-Bartke – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
