Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has called on his team to secure a victory in their opening Champions League match against Young Boys on Tuesday in tribute to club legend Gary Shaw, who passed away on Monday at the age of 63. Shaw, a key figure in Villa’s 1982 European Cup triumph, is remembered fondly as the team prepares to return to Europe’s top competition after a 41-year absence.
Emery expressed his condolences, saying, “We have a memory always, in our training ground a picture of 1982 and the European Cup, he was a protagonist of that. My condolences to them. I think it’s sad, and we can use it as motivation.”
In preparation for the match at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium, which has an artificial surface, Emery adapted the team’s training plans to ensure they are well-prepared. “We decided to come to train here, to adapt to the synthetic pitch. We’re ready and won’t use it as an excuse.”
Villa will be without Matty Cash due to a hamstring injury, but Leon Bailey has traveled after recovering from his own hamstring issue.
