ASTON VILLA former European Champions now facing the possibility of administration and starting next season on -12 points. What has happened to this once huge powerhouse in English football.
Two weeks ago Aston Villa lost the Championship play-off final 1-0 to Fulham Wembley consigning them to a third season in England's second tier. However, the defeat at Wembley has done a lot more damage than just that, the club is now in big financial difficulty as it now needs to sell its big names players to comply with the FFP rules and regs. There is a real possibility that the club could end up in the hands of administrators.
Just yesterday the club suspended its CEO after it failed to pay a tax bill. According to Sky Sports News they have been told officially the the club is not for sale but sources have told them that the owner Dr Tony Xia is looking for new investors to share the burden with and if the right offer comes in to cut his losses and sell the club, that is rumoured to be costing him £6m a month to run.
Since the club was relegated to the Championship they have invested a shed load of money and it simply hasn't paid off because the club are still in the Championship. Singings such as Jonathan Kodja (£15m), Ross McCormack (£11m) and Scott Hogan (£9m) were unheard of in the Championship before but these singings have failed to send Villa back to the big time and have worked out as expensive to the club who will now need to sell some of their stars and they could now become another side who get stuck in the second tier.
John Terry left the club last week at the end of his contract, it was rumoured that he had to leave due to the fact the club could not afford his wages anymore due to the FFP regulations. The full price for failing to win the play-off final is now becoming apparent. It will is understood that there could be mass departures from Villa this summer including the likes of Jack Grelish, Scott Hogan, Kodja and James Chester.
Villa started that play-off final with three loan players in the side as well Sam Johnstone (Man Utd), Robert Snodgrass (West Ham) and Lewis Grabben (Bournemouth) it looks unlikely that the club will now sign any of those on permanent deals and along with the expected departures of the players mentioned above its going to be another rebuilding job needed at Villa Park and one that will have to be done on the cheap. However, failure to meet FFP will mean the club will be under a transfer embargo and won't be allowed to bring players in meaning they will have t rebuild from their own youth academy, It could be a dark time ahead for the Villains.
There is of course still speculation about Steve Bruce on weather he will stay at the club, after the final he said he would like to stay but that was before these issues became apparent. The club may also look to offload him and start a fresh with something completely different.
It would be very sad to see a club that throughout my lifetime has been in the top division starting a season on -12 points in the second tier. If Villa have to sell their keys players I fear for them. They played my team Millwall on the last day of the season and rested a lot of their key players ahead of the play-offs and the team they put out that day did not look like it would be able to compete at Championship level.
Two weeks ago Aston Villa lost the Championship play-off final 1-0 to Fulham Wembley consigning them to a third season in England's second tier. However, the defeat at Wembley has done a lot more damage than just that, the club is now in big financial difficulty as it now needs to sell its big names players to comply with the FFP rules and regs. There is a real possibility that the club could end up in the hands of administrators.
Just yesterday the club suspended its CEO after it failed to pay a tax bill. According to Sky Sports News they have been told officially the the club is not for sale but sources have told them that the owner Dr Tony Xia is looking for new investors to share the burden with and if the right offer comes in to cut his losses and sell the club, that is rumoured to be costing him £6m a month to run.
Since the club was relegated to the Championship they have invested a shed load of money and it simply hasn't paid off because the club are still in the Championship. Singings such as Jonathan Kodja (£15m), Ross McCormack (£11m) and Scott Hogan (£9m) were unheard of in the Championship before but these singings have failed to send Villa back to the big time and have worked out as expensive to the club who will now need to sell some of their stars and they could now become another side who get stuck in the second tier.
John Terry left the club last week at the end of his contract, it was rumoured that he had to leave due to the fact the club could not afford his wages anymore due to the FFP regulations. The full price for failing to win the play-off final is now becoming apparent. It will is understood that there could be mass departures from Villa this summer including the likes of Jack Grelish, Scott Hogan, Kodja and James Chester.
Villa started that play-off final with three loan players in the side as well Sam Johnstone (Man Utd), Robert Snodgrass (West Ham) and Lewis Grabben (Bournemouth) it looks unlikely that the club will now sign any of those on permanent deals and along with the expected departures of the players mentioned above its going to be another rebuilding job needed at Villa Park and one that will have to be done on the cheap. However, failure to meet FFP will mean the club will be under a transfer embargo and won't be allowed to bring players in meaning they will have t rebuild from their own youth academy, It could be a dark time ahead for the Villains.
There is of course still speculation about Steve Bruce on weather he will stay at the club, after the final he said he would like to stay but that was before these issues became apparent. The club may also look to offload him and start a fresh with something completely different.
It would be very sad to see a club that throughout my lifetime has been in the top division starting a season on -12 points in the second tier. If Villa have to sell their keys players I fear for them. They played my team Millwall on the last day of the season and rested a lot of their key players ahead of the play-offs and the team they put out that day did not look like it would be able to compete at Championship level.
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