Jamie Carragher has been discussing how Aston Villa will fair in the Champions League following the club’s qualification for the competition.
The ex-Liverpool defender knows all about what it takes to be successful in Europe, having won the competition in 2005 before losing in the final in 2007.
Villa were unable to seal the deal at Villa Park against Carragher’s former club on Monday night, although they did battle back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3.
Tottenham Hotspur lost 24 hours later at home to Manchester City, meaning Villa could get the celebrations started in the knowledge that they will be a Champions League club next season.
On Tuesday night, Carragher was on The Gary Neville Podcast, where he revealed a factor that he believes could really help Villa in the competition.
Jamie Carragher believes Villa Park will help in Champions League
There will be no easy games for Villa in the Champions League and they will have to be at their absolute best to get out of whichever group they find themselves in.
Their chances will be boosted by the fact they have a manager with real European pedigree in Unai Emery, with the Spaniard having won four Europa League trophies and managed the likes of Sevilla and PSG in the Champions League.
However, it is the Villa Park atmosphere that Carragher feels will be most important to their chances of success.
Carragher said on the podcast recorded on Tuesday: “It was a brilliant atmosphere last night in terms of the 3-3 and you think of the European nights there… I think they’ll be pretty special because the excitement and enthusiasm from a Villa fan whose probably never dreamed…”
Carragher lost his train of thought momentarily, as he thought back to when Villa won the since-rebranded tournament in 1982, as he said:
“Let’s not forget, there’ll be Villa fans who will remember winning the European Cup in the early 1980s. It’s not even the last generation, it’s two or three generations of Villa fans who come after that who have no recollection of that really.
“So they’d have never believed their club could be in the Champions League, so the atmosphere at Villa Park, with them attacking the Holte End of a big European tie, I think it’ll be the place to be.”
European nights at Villa Park have already been special this season
If this season’s participation in the Europa Conference League have been anything to go by then Villa Park really will be the place to be next season.
Speaking ahead of what turned out to be a semi-final exit in Europe’s third rate club competition at the hands of Olympiacos, defender Matty Cash spoke on how the fans give the players a real boost when they play at home.
In his press conference ahead of the first leg against the Greek side, Cash said: “Ajax and Lille were two really tough games and I think the atmosphere was really good.
“Pre-match we’re going into a different entrance at Villa Park and for the boys we speak about that and it gives us a proper boost when you’re coming up and there’s flares and then both sides are singing.
“It gives us a massive boost to be fair and we’ve had that the last few weeks and it has been great. And obviously tomorrow will be a special night.”
Champions League nights at Villa Park next season look set to be the hottest ticket in town come the new season.
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