Aston Villa has clashed with the Premier League office. The reason is the 'unfair' schedule change.
British media, including the BBC and Daily Mail, reported on the 6th and 7th (Korea time) that "Aston Villa is angry over the Premier League office's decision to change the match schedule." The match in question is the clash between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, originally scheduled for May 18.
The office moved the match to Friday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. local time, which is 3:30 a.m. on the 17th in Korea. This change was explained as a consideration for Tottenham's potential advance to the UEFA Europa League final.
Tottenham won the first leg of the semifinal against Bodo/Glimt 3-1, and the second leg is scheduled for the 9th. The final will be held in Bilbao on May 22.
Villa has strongly opposed this decision. Damian Billagani, the club's football operations manager, opened up on his personal social media on the 6th, saying, "The schedule has changed, and to be honest, I'm not satisfied. However, there could have been worse situations."
He stated, "Our most important responsibility is to protect our fans. Therefore, we have strongly protested at multiple levels as a club to ensure this match is held on the original date of the 18th."
Billagani emphasized, "There are no feelings against Tottenham. However, it is clear that this decision has a blatant bias that harms Villa fans. I hope this case will help us be treated fairly in future European competitions."
According to reports, Director General Monchi also shared the same stance. He stated, "Our fans do not deserve to be treated this way. We worked really hard to preserve the match. Now, we need the fans' help to create the best atmosphere during the remaining time," expressing concerns about the match against Tottenham.
Villa faced similar circumstances earlier this season. A request to change the match schedule against Liverpool in February was rejected, leading to a grueling schedule of five matches in 14 days. While the league office accepted Tottenham's request, it neglected Villa's circumstances, which included competing in both the Champions League and FA Cup.
Moreover, the day Villa is set to play its final home match of the season was also planned to include pre-event activities for fans and families. However, the change to a weekday evening match made it virtually impossible for family fans attending with young children.
The Premier League office stated, "The change was made considering Tottenham's possibility of reaching the Europa League final," adding, "The match between Chelsea and Manchester United, which is held on the same day, was also adjusted in the same context." The Chelsea-Manchester United match will kick off at 8:15 p.m. local time on the same day, which is 4:15 a.m. on the 17th in Korea.
The issue is that even if Tottenham fails to reach the final, the schedule change for the Villa match will remain. This raises controversy over the fairness of the schedule.
Ultimately, Villa expressed that it has accepted this decision with "minimal damage," but noted that "it is difficult for fans to accept this." Amid fierce competition for entry into European competitions, complaints about the ruined atmosphere for the club's final home match are expected to persist.
According to reports, Villa fans are expressing their anger, stating, "Regardless of when we enter European competitions, we expect the same consideration." Their outcry, "European football is not only difficult for clubs right before the final," raises attention on how the league office will respond.
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