Aston Villa’s Director of Football, Damian Vidagany, has sent a clear message as the club continue to deal with the restraints of PSR and UEFA’s financial regulations.
The early part of the summer was dominated by talk of Villa potentially breaching PSR and facing sanctions, a familiar scenario given we were in the same predicament last summer before player sales.
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While that was seemingly addressed with the sale of the women’s team, the club still face pressure from UEFA having entered into a settlement agreement after breaching their rules, which will mean we have to reduce losses and the wage bill over the next three years.
In turn, Villa are essentially being hit from two angles while also trying to juggle that with building a more competitive squad, and so it’s been a difficult summer again for the hierarchy, with Monchi, Vidagany, Unai Emery and all the staff behind the scenes no doubt working tirelessly to get us into the best possible position off the pitch ahead of the new campaign.
Vidagany spoke in detail on this matter last summer, as seen in the post below, while the Spanish trio also spoke to TNT Sports ahead of our draw with Newcastle United this past weekend to explain the situation and confirm that we’re still battling these financial restrictions.
Responding to my tweet on his quotes from last year, the Villa chief insisted that the club are continuing to fight to build a strong and competitive team, while he also wished Jacob Ramsey the best of luck after his move to Newcastle United was confirmed on Sunday, as he became the latest key player to be sacrificed for financial reasons.
“One year later, every words comes stronger: we keep fighting this situation to deliver a good team and comply with PSR and UEFA rules. As difficult it is, we won’t give up..( Thanks and good luck JJ)”
One year later, every words comes stronger: we keep fighting this situation to deliver a good team and comply with PSR and UEFA rules. As difficult it is, we won’t give up..( Thanks and good luck JJ) 👇🏻 https://t.co/nQ28uFFVVm
— Damian Vidagany (@DV1874) August 17, 2025
Based on the response from Vidagany, the hierarchy and many of the players on social media after Ramsey’s exit, it’s clear that frustration is building behind the scenes, but it’s hoped that we can continue to fight on the pitch to defy the odds and continue to push for progression and success, while it remains to be seen if any action will be taken off the pitch against the relevant rules.
In some ways, it’s hard to know if legal proceedings could realistically change anything or if there is an openness from the Premier League and/or UEFA to make tweaks to ensure these regulations are less anti-competitive against the established clubs and in line with the current financial climate, but Villa will surely be at the forefront of that battle if anything were to materialise.
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