Wow, it's so clear Andy, when you put it like that. Clearly Unai Emery was made for Aston Villa and the Europa League!

Aston Villa

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Aston Villa president of football operations Monchi is stepping down with former Real Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe replacing him.

Olabe, 57, spent seven years at Sociedad before leaving at the end of last season.

Monchi's exit was confirmed by Villa on Tuesday with the club 18th in the Premier League after a winless start to the season.

The Spaniard will remain in an advisory role, the club added.

"Firstly, I would like to thank Monchi for his hard work and invaluable contribution as president of football operations during an exciting period at Aston Villa," chairman Nassef Sawiris said.

"His commitment and vision has directly contributed to the club's recent successes, reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League as well as qualifying for Europe for three consecutive seasons.

"We are delighted that Roberto is joining Aston Villa. He has built a reputation as someone who can spot talent that can be developed and we look forward to supporting him to achieve the ambitions we have for V Sports and Aston Villa."

Aston Villa

The Monday Night Club panel considered Aston Villa's current troubles in the latest episode.

Click the play icon below to watch the discussion...

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Following last season’s exploits in which Aston Villa reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the start of this campaign has proved to be far more arduous.

Unai Emery’s side are yet to win a game in any competition in 2025-26, losing twice and drawing three times in the Premier League and exiting the EFL Cup on penalties to Brentford.

Villa’s biggest issue has been a failure to score goals. Matty Cash’s 67th-minute goal in the 1-1 draw at Sunderland last weekend was their first, and only, goal in the Premier League this season. It made Villa the last team in the top four tiers of English football to find the back of the net.

Villa are currently the worst side in the top flight for a host of attacking metrics, including shot conversion, while their expected goals tally is also the lowest in the Premier League – indicating that few chances are being created.

Image source, BBC Sport

So could the Europa League on Thursday night provide a welcome distraction?

The competition has been synonymous with the success of Emery’s career, winning a first major trophy in the competition with Sevilla in 2013-14.

Emery has won the Europa League four times in total – a record for any manager - while he also reached the 2019 final with Arsenal.

Overall he has managed 93 matches in the competition, losing just 14, with a win rate of 60%.

Can Villa defeat Serie A side Bologna at home tomorrow night to continue Emery’s excellent Europa record and kickstart their season?

Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no.

Aston Villa

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Winless in their first five league matches with just one goal scored, Aston Villa look a long way from the side that went toe-to-toe with eventual winners Paris St-Germain in last season's Champions League quarter-finals.

Perhaps the only positive for Unai Emery's side is that despite their poor goalscoring form, they have still managed to take three points so far.

Nonetheless, the start of the Europa League should provide a welcome distraction to their Premier League struggles thus far.

There may not be quite the glitz and glamour of the Champions League that they enjoyed last campaign, but if Villa can recapture the form they showed in Europe last year then they would fancy their chances of going all the way in a competition Emery knows so well.

Aston Villa

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If a club wins the Champions League five times, they get to keep the trophy - could Unai Emery make a case for taking the Europa League home with him if he wins it again with Aston Villa this year?

Here are how he secured his four previous triumphs in the competition...

• 2013-14 - Sevilla (beat Benfica 4-2 on penalties after 0-0 draw in final)
• 2014-15 - Sevilla (beat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3-2 in final)
• 2015-16 - Sevilla (beat Liverpool 3-1 in final)
• 2020-21 - Villarreal (beat Manchester United 11-10 on penalties after 1-1 draw in final)

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

We will return to Nottingham Forest and their tricky Europa League opener a little later, but now we switch our attention to another manager with a strong European pedigree - Aston Villa's Unai Emery...

David Jackson
BBC Radio Nottingham Sport

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The news that Oleksandr Zinchenko has been added to Nottingham Forest's Europa League squad (replacing Ola Aina thanks to Uefa's new rules on long-term injuries) makes it 17 Forest players now who have previous experience in European competition.

It is this experience - and that of the head coach who won this trophy last season, of course - that contrasts sharply with the young fans who are here experiencing an away trip in Europe for the first time.

In his interview with us, recorded by the side of the pitch at the Olympic Stadium, Ange Postecoglou said that 'the new generation want their own stories' - and he's right. It has also been a long wait for the older fans, and those we have seen are aware how easily these things can be here and then gone again before you know it.

They are here to enjoy themselves, and why not?

What is also true though is that the players have the ability and the know-how to represent their supporters properly on the pitch. Nikola Milenkovic said the players were 'excited like the fans' to be in Europe.

He has played in two finals for Fiorentina so knows about playing against different styles and in different conditions but is clearly aware of the responsibility they have to these supporters.

It is going to be a fascinating night tonight, against an experienced side (and manager in Manuel Pellegrini).

But for the fans getting ready to experience their own stories, they are just hoping they will be happy ones.

Listen to a special Shut Up And Show More Football podcast recorded in Seville

BBC 5 Live Breakfast

More from Nottingham Forest fan Ben Marshall, on Ange Postecoglou: "There is a tinge of sadness but if there is one person that you would want to take you to this competition, it would be the current holder, he has a proven track record in this tournament.

"I think the fan base is divided on his appointment and on this season as a whole, but for this Europa League, he won it last year and we are clinging on to that optimism.

"We have learned we have to give people time."

Nottingham Forest's new manager Ange Postecoglou has his own European pedigree, having helped previous club Tottenham win the Europa League last season.

Speaking on Match Of The Day following the 2-2 draw with Burnley, Wayne Rooney said that he believes Postecoglou's philosophy is already visible in the Nottingham Forest side.

Will that philosophy work against Real Betis to earn him a first win as Forest boss?

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Nottingham Forest have not played in a major European competition since the 1995-96 season.

They, of course, won the European Cup in consecutive seasons - 1978-79 and 1979-80 - under legendary manager Brian Clough.

BBC 5 Live Breakfast

Nottingham Forest fan Ben Marshall was on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast this morning as he made his way to Seville to watch the game: "There are a number of Forest fans sat around the airport and there is a buzz of excitement. It has been a long time coming to be playing with the big lads in Europe. A very exciting day for us.

"Forest have been starved of a trophy for years and the next step is Europe. What we want now is to compete for trophies, not just places in these tournaments."

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

We are going to be hearing from Aston Villa manager Unai Emery from around 13:00 BST.

But we are going to start with Nottingham Forest fans, who are in Spain ready for tonight's Europa League opener.

Wednesday, 24 September

• Real Betis v Nottingham Forest
• Red Star Belgrade v Celtic

Thursday, 25 September

• Aston Villa v Bologna
• Rangers v Genk

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The 2025-26 Europa League gets fully under way this week - with the unusual format of nine matches taking place on Wednesday night.

Nottingham Forest and Celtic are among the 18 teams in action tonight, while Aston Villa and Rangers begin their campaigns in the more traditional Thursday night slot [tomorrow].

Much like the Champions League's return last week, the upcoming matches are part of an exclusive week for the Europa League, with no Champions League or Conference League fixtures scheduled.

Traditionally, all matches in the competition take place on a Thursday night. That will remain the case throughout the rest of the Europa League season.

The exclusive week of matches for all three of Europe's club competitions started last season and have remained in place this term.

The 'exclusive' concept allows Uefa to showcase its major European competitions and give all three editions their own sole focus.

While the Champions League's exclusive round took place last week, the Conference League's final round of league phase matches on Thursday, 18 December, are also being played as an exclusive match week.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Right, that's enough of Hugo Ekitike, for now at least.

We are going to talk about the Europa League next.

But why, I hear you ask, would we be doing that on a Wednesday?

I know this one Dave, my children went through a phase of watching Encanto incessantly. Would probably work better if his name was Bruno Ekitike, though...

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Is it that time already?

Hugo Ekitike has kept us busy this morning.

We are going to park the Carabao Cup chat for a while as we turn our attentions to the Europa League for a couple of hours.

But if you are just joining us, here is a flavour of the hot topics we have been discussing:

• Ekitike's moment of madness
• 'Emotion got the better of me'
• It was stupid, not smart in every sense - Slot
• Is Isak ready to start against Palace?
• Should players be shown a yellow card for goal celebrations?
• 'It's not a good sign' - Slot on Leoni injury
• Brighton and Welsh clubs make League Cup history
• 'The time for adaptation has finished' - Wolves boss Pereira
• Can George provide alternative attacking option for Chelsea?
• Could we see record PL exits from EFL Cup?

• Get Involved - the best of your reaction

Fulham

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It was a completely different line-up for the Cottagers as boss Marco Silva made 11 changes - but only a few took their chance to make their mark.

Fulham had 82% possession in the opening 45 minutes but did not make it count with just two successful crosses from 11 attempts.

Neither side got any of their four shots on target in a largely uneventful first half, with Cambridge defending stoutly.

Emile Smith-Rowe, who has came on from the bench in all five league games this season, started against Cambridge and got the only goal of the evening. He tapped in Timothy Castagne's low cross in the 66th minute after Raul Jimenez's initial shot was saved.

Time will tell if any of the Fulham players did enough to start against Aston Villa on Sunday, but Silva looked distinctly unimpressed with his side throughout the match.