- Aston Villa return to European action on Thursday after a 13-year absence
- They have a rich history on the continent, having won the European Cup in 1982
- Click here to watch the IAKO Battle of Old Trafford YouTube Special from the Mail Sport Studios
Largely thanks to the excellent work of manager Unai Emery, Aston Villa will begin their Europa Conference League group-stage campaign tonight.
It’s been 13 years since this storied club last played under European lights.
This season marks the 18th time they have competed in Europe, starting with a first-round exit from the 1975-76 UEFA Cup.
Their finest hour came back in 1982, when manager Tony Barton led the Villans to European Cup glory by beating German giants Bayern Munich 1-0 in Rotterdam.
We’ve delved through the Mail Sport archives from those glory days to bring you the best pictures…
Aston Villa won the European Cup in 1982 after beating Bayern Munich and have a rich history in continental competitions (pictured – Jimmy Rimmer (left) and Nigel Spink (right))
Villa boss Tony Barton with the trophy after they beat Bayern 1-0 thanks to Peter Withe’s goal
Villa supporters upon their return from Brussels after they defeated Anderlecht in the semi-final. They won the first leg at home 1-0, before securing a battling 0-0 draw in Belgium
In 1982-83, the Villans went out in the quarter-final to Juventus (pictured – an empty Villa Park for their first round victory over Benfica after UEFA forced them to play behind closed doors)
Stan Collymore clashes with Steaua Bucharest players in round three of the 1997-98 UEFA Cup
Savo Milosevic celebrates in the second leg of the tie as Villa went onto win 3-2 on aggregate. They were eventually knocked out by Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final on away goals
