Unai Emery dismissed a touchline confrontation with Youri Tielemans following Aston Villa's Europa League triumph over Fenerbahce on Thursday evening.
The Belgian midfielder was withdrawn during the second minute of added time as Villa secured a 1-0 victory in Istanbul, booking their passage directly into the last 16.
Television footage captured Emery declining to accept Tielemans' outstretched hand as the player departed the pitch, before the manager pushed him whilst he made his way towards the substitutes' bench.
When TNT Sports questioned the Spaniard about the exchange, he played down any suggestion of conflict.
"He's my son. He's my son," Emery responded with a laugh.
Beyond the touchline drama, it proved a successful evening for Emery's injury-hit squad as Jadon Sancho netted his maiden goal in Villa colours.
The winger, on a season-long loan from Manchester United since September, found the net in the 25th minute after connecting with a deflected cross from Matty Cash.
Emery didn't want him to run? Why is he shouting and putting his hands on Tielemans pic.twitter.com/tERRmIpBwK
— Thominho (@ThominhoUnited) January 22, 2026
Goalkeeper Marco Bizot produced several crucial stops after the interval to preserve Villa's advantage.
Morgan Rogers thought he had doubled the lead, only for his effort to be chalked off.
The hosts believed they had salvaged a point when Kemer Akturkoglu struck, but VAR intervened to rule out the equaliser, ensuring Villa claimed all three points.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
- Travis Kelce appears to confirm retirement decision after subtle hint over NFL future
- Rory McIlroy lands key ally in pay row with LIV Golf rebels 'refusing to back down'
- Former football manager explains decision to work at McDonald's after turning his back on sport
Tyrone Mings featured for the first time since November, having recovered from a thigh problem that had sidelined him for two months.
The defender played a key role in Villa keeping a clean sheet against the Turkish side.
Emery was full of praise for his centre-back following the final whistle.
"He is intelligent and a good player and today we needed him," the manager said.
"After two months not playing, he needed to show like he did his comeback, playing and getting the commitment."
Villa were without several key figures for the trip to Istanbul, with captain John McGinn and defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara among those missing through injury.
Emery expressed satisfaction with how his players approached the contest despite their depleted resources.
"The most important thing today was to compete like we did, to feel good playing in our style," he explained.
"Everything they were demanding us to be compact and we did it and then of course to win the match, score goals. We had chances to score the second goal. We didn't do it but we are really happy after the feeling we had on Sunday."
The result secured Villa's place in the top eight of the Europa League standings.
Looking ahead, Emery indicated the club hopes to strengthen before the transfer window closes next week, adding they want to "complete the squad for the next months and the competitions we have."
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
from GB News https://ift.tt/1Wtu06q
via IFTTT
Thank you for your message!