Aston Villa are set for a return to the “good old days” of hosting major tournament football at Villa Park.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the landmark deal Villa have secured to stage matches at the UJK-hosted 2028 European Championship.
As relayed by the Daily Mail last Friday (20 January), Villa Park and Wembley Stadium are the only two English stadiums guaranteed to be venues for the tournament.
Tottenham, West Ham, both Manchester clubs and Everton hope to stage matches but only two will be chosen as hosts.
Villa have been given the green light to take capacity at their 125-year-old home ground to beyond 50,000.
CEO Christian Purslow emphasised the club’s desire to host matches a Euro 2028 as a key factor in the plans.
Maguire claims that while Villa will receive a token hosting fee, the biggest boost to the club will be reputational.
“The news is good for showcasing the development of the stadium,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“The financial impact, however, will be limited. Villa will get a hosting fee. That will be similar to what they received in the good old days when Villa used to host FA Cup semi-finals.
“So, having three or four matches can only help the coffers. But it’s more of an opportunity to show the standard of the development.
“Christian Purslow has emphasised the importance of the Euros in putting together plans for the expansion, so I can only imagine this news will be received well”
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By: Kieran Maguire
Title: Kieran Maguire: Aston Villa to return to the ‘good old days’ as landmark deal agreed
Sourced From: www.footballinsider247.com/aston-villa-to-return-to-the-good-old-days-as-deal-agreed-kieran-maguire/
Published Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:33:16 +0000
