Unai Emery’s UEFA Super Cup Curse Continues: Four Finals, Four Defeats

Unai Emery’s remarkable European pedigree has another strange chapter and this one is becoming difficult to ignore.

The Aston Villa manager has now lost all four UEFA Super Cup finals he has contested as a manager, following Villa’s 2–1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2026 final in Salzburg.

His Super Cup heartbreak began in 2014, when his Sevilla side lost 2–0 to Real Madrid.

A year later, Sevilla came agonisingly close. In one of the greatest Super Cup finals ever played, Barcelona defeated Emery’s team 5–4 after extra time in a nine-goal thriller. UEFA records the 2015 edition as the highest-scoring one-legged Super Cup final.

Then came 2021.

This time, Emery was in charge of Villarreal after winning the Europa League. Villarreal drew 1–1 with Chelsea after extra time, but Chelsea eventually prevailed 6–5 on penalties, with Kepa Arrizabalaga saving two spot-kicks.

And now, in 2026, history has repeated itself.

Emery led Aston Villa into the Super Cup after another European triumph, but PSG emerged victorious 2–1, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué scoring for the Champions League winners before Villa’s 17-year-old Brian Madjo pulled one back. PSG held on to claim the trophy.

Four finals. Four defeats.

2014: Real Madrid 2–0 Sevilla

2015: Barcelona 5–4 Sevilla (AET)

2021: Chelsea 1–1 Villarreal — Chelsea won 6–5 on penalties

2026: PSG 2–1 Aston Villa

The irony is that Emery is widely regarded as one of European football’s most successful cup specialists. His record in the Europa League is exceptional, yet the UEFA Super Cup continues to elude him.

So, while Emery’s European legacy remains impressive, there is now an unusual statistic attached to his name:

Four UEFA Super Cup appearances. Four defeats. No trophy.

Perhaps the Super Cup is the one European final that Emery simply cannot win. 🇪🇸🏆

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