Unai Emery says Aston Villa can be proud of their performance despite their 2-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.
After Brian Madjo cancelled out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s opener, Desire Doué’s second-half winner secured the trophy for the Champions League holders.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Emery acknowledged the disappointment of losing but praised his players for their performance and competitiveness throughout the 90 minutes.
“With a loss, you can never feel happy,” Emery said. “But how we compete, how the players respond on the field for 90 minutes, and our chances to score, we must feel really very proud of what we have done today.”
Teenagers Brian Madjo and George Hemmings were among the players to impress, with Emery highlighting the importance of such experiences in their development.
Emery proud of Villa despite Super Cup defeat to PSG
“Their experiences and having days like today are very important,” he said. “They show how they are learning after their hard work.”
Emery also explained the absence of Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins, who did not travel to Salzburg following their involvement in the World Cup.
“They are joining us after this match. We have our last friendly on Saturday,” Emery said. “We wanted to give them four week holiday because the season was very demanding.”
The Villa boss said the trio would now begin training with the squad, adding that the club were confident despite needing to make further adjustments.
“Some changes will be needed but we are confident,” he said.
Asked whether Villa could make further additions to their squad before the transfer window closes, Emery gave a brief indication of his plans.
“Normally there will be more changes,” he said.