Thursday’s football build-up & reaction to Tonali’s suspended FA ban

Aston Villa host Greek side Olympiacos this evening at Villa Park in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.

For Unai Emery’s side, it is the first time they have reached this far in a major European competition since winning the European Cup in 1982.

Here are the previous times over the last 42 years that Villa have reached a European quarter-final:

Previous seasons in European football:

1975/76: Uefa Cup first round (knocked out by Antwerp)

1977/78: Uefa Cup quarter-finals (knocked out by Barcelona)

1981/82: European Cup winners (beat Bayern Munich in the final)

1982/83: European Cup quarter-finals (knocked out by Juventus)

1983/84: European Cup second round (knocked out by Spartak Moscow)

1990/91: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Inter Milan)

1993/94: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Deportivo La Coruna)

1994/95: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Trabzonspor)

1996/97: Uefa Cup first round (knocked out by Helsingborg)

1997/98: Uefa Cup quarter-finals (knocked out by Atletico Madrid)

1998/99: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Celta Vigo)

2001/02: Uefa Cup first round (knocked out by Varteks)

2008/09: Uefa Cup round of 32 (knocked out by CSKA Moscow)

2009/10: Europa League play-off qualifying round (knocked out by Rapid Wien)

2010/11: Europa League play-off qualifying round (knocked out by Rapid Wien)