Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has expressed confidence that his team is ready to vie for major trophies as they gear up to face Bologna in their third Champions League fixture of the season.
The Birmingham-based club has emerged victorious in both of their Champions League matches so far, marking their return to European football’s top-tier competition for the first time since the 1982-83 season.
"I don't want to waste my time here, that is my message. You can't waste your time here," Emery stated during a press conference on Monday.
"My objective here is to keep the same level we have now, Champions League and add more to be contenders for titles.
"This is the message, we love football, we love our work and we want to be successful."
Villa Park is set to host its second Champions League match — the tournament was renamed from the European Cup at the start of the 1992 season — following Jhon Durán's remarkable winning goal against Bayern Munich in their previous outing.
Emery emphasized that he doesn't want his team to be just participants and reiterated his ambition for the club to qualify for the competition consistently.
"We want to achieve the objectives and one of them is to play in the Champions League. It is not about playing there only because of some circumstances -- I want to us to stay there for a long time," the Spanish coach said.
"But it is difficult. Maybe sometimes you can have some problems or struggle in our way, but you have to be resilient. We want to be strong in the idea in our mind and create a strong mentality to always break barriers.
"We can believe, working like we are doing, we can keep it. This is my challenge, this is my objective now.”
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is facing mounting speculation about his future after a series of poor results, with bookmakers already listing potential replacements.
Among the frontrunners are Andoni Iraola and Thomas Frank, both of whom have impressed with their tactical approaches at Bournemouth and Brentford, respectively.
Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has also been mentioned as a possible return candidate, given his past success at the club.
Despite the growing rumors, Postecoglou remains focused on his work, stating, “I’m not concerned about the noise; my focus is on improving this team every single day.”
However, Tottenham’s recent struggles in domestic cup competitions have only intensified the discussions surrounding his future.
While some supporters believe Postecoglou deserves more time, others argue that a managerial change is necessary to revive Tottenham’s ambitions.
Club chairman Daniel Levy is reportedly assessing all options, with an insider noting, “Levy is always keeping an eye on potential managerial changes, but he still backs Postecoglou—at least for now.”
With Tottenham currently outside the Champions League qualification spots, the pressure continues to mount, and a string of poor results could force the club’s hand.
A former Spurs player weighed in on the situation, saying, “This is a crucial period for the club. The next few matches will determine whether Postecoglou stays or if a new face steps in to take charge.”
As uncertainty looms, Tottenham fans will be eagerly watching how the club navigates this delicate situation.
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