Aston Villa set for special Sevilla friendly as Unai Emery returns to former club

Aston Villa will travel to Spain during the international break after Sevilla officially confirmed the Premier League club as their opponents for the 15th edition of the Antonio Puerta Trophy.

The friendly will take place at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán on Friday, October 2, giving Unai Emery the opportunity to return to a stadium where he enjoyed one of the most successful periods of his managerial career.

For Villa, the fixture provides an opportunity to keep available players sharp during the international break. However, the occasion primarily serves a much more significant purpose for Sevilla.

The Antonio Puerta Trophy is organised in memory of former Sevilla player Antonio Puerta, who spent his entire professional career with the Spanish club.

Puerta played a major role in one of the most important periods in Sevilla's history and scored the decisive goal that helped send them towards their first European trophy in 2006.

He tragically died aged 22 after suffering a cardiac arrest and collapsing during a La Liga match against Getafe.

Sevilla have continued to honour his legacy, including staging the Antonio Puerta Trophy. Previous opponents have included Roma, Boca Juniors, Schalke, Independiente del Valle, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah.

Aston Villa will now become the latest club invited to participate.

The occasion will carry additional significance for Emery.

The Villa manager coached Sevilla between 2013 and 2016 and oversaw an extraordinary period of European success, winning three consecutive Europa League titles.

This will be his first return to his former club, adding another storyline to an already meaningful fixture.

Emery will not have his complete Aston Villa squad available, though.

The international break means several senior players are expected to represent their countries. John McGinn has already been selected by Scotland, while Villa's squad contains numerous other internationals who could be unavailable.

That should create opportunities for fringe players and youngsters to receive valuable minutes.

Sevilla could have more established first-team players available. Kike Salas, José Ángel Carmona, Manu Bueno and Isaac Romero have not been regular Spain selections, while Lucien Agoumé could also remain with the club rather than joining France.

The friendly will be played at Sevilla's Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium on Friday, October 2, with kick-off scheduled for 20:30 local time.

Tickets are scheduled to go on general sale at 12:00 on September 22, with prices ranging from €10 to €20.

Sevilla season-ticket holders can attend for free. There has not yet been confirmation that Aston Villa season-ticket holders will receive the same arrangement.

Recent editions of the Antonio Puerta Trophy have attracted crowds of around 20,000, while the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán has a capacity of approximately 40,000.

For Villa supporters considering travelling, the stadium is easily accessible from central Sevilla by Metro Line 1, taxi or on foot.

Aston Villa will first determine exactly which players remain available once international squads are finalised.

Emery can then use the friendly to maintain match fitness within the rest of his squad while potentially giving opportunities to players needing minutes.

For supporters travelling to Spain, the key date is September 22, when general ticket sales are due to open ahead of Villa's October 2 visit.