Unai Emery said Aston Villa must use their agonising Champions League quarter-final defeat against Paris Saint-Germain as fuel to qualify for the competition again quickly.
Villa stirred from 5-1 down on aggregate but a 3-2 win on the night was not enough to advance to the semi-finals, in which PSG will face either Arsenal or Real Madrid. Villa will return to the biggest European club competition next season if they finish in the top five of the Premier League. Emery expressed his pride at his team’s performance, with Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa scoring on a memorable night.
“It is now most important to get Europe again,” the Villa manager said. “The most important competition is the Champions League. The challenge we have for the last six matches is to try and get Europe and the Champions League.
“The players showed their capacity to compete at this level. Hopefully we can come back quickly to play in the Champions League. This is our objective and to play in the FA Cup as well for a trophy.”
Asked whether the Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford could sign permanently after an electric display, the Villa manager replied: “It is difficult to plan now. If he’s happy, we are happy. He’s feeling comfortable and better, today he played a fantastic match. Of course, it depends on the circumstances and what happens in the next weeks, and [what we have] in the next year as well.”
PSG, meanwhile, are aiming to go one step better after exiting the competition at the semi-final stage to Borussia Dortmund last season. Luis Enrique praised his players, saying he has “the best squad in the world”, but said he had no preference when asked about potential opponents in the last four. “Tomorrow I am going to try and enjoy the match with dinner and a beer,” the head coach said.
Marquinhos, the PSG captain, said he and his teammates are confident of winning a first Champions League. The Brazil defender said: “It’s going to be such a difficult semi‑final whether it’s Arsenal or Real Madrid, but there’s belief we can go all the way.”
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Uefa could investigate Villa after a home supporter threw a bottle towards the Spanish referee, José María Sánchez, as the officials left the pitch.
