As celebrations continue after Aston Villa secured Champions League qualification for next season, the impact of the achievement promises to be significant.
It’s a deserved reward for Unai Emery and his players for what they’ve put into this season, as we’ve seen a remarkable transformation over the past 18 months or so.
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A winning culture has been developed, a style of play and identity has been established, individuals have improved significantly as has the collective, and the connection between club and supporters is arguably as strong as it’s ever been.
That has all contributed to what has been an incredible season in which we’ve now secured fourth place in the Premier League, and subsequently will be amongst Europe’s elite next year in the Champions League.
While it’s a fundamental achievement to reward our progress thus far and to build a solid foundation by keeping our best players at the club and attracting our top transfer targets, the financial benefits of such a feat go well beyond that.
According to The Telegraph, Villa will be guaranteed at least £50m through qualifying for the Champions League, and that will of course increase depending on performance.
It’s noted that we’ll still face limitations in order to adhere to PSR and FFP regulations, but the injection of such an increased income will be vitally important for the club moving forward in terms of development and growth. Combine that with the increase in commercial opportunities too, and President of Business Operations, Chris Heck, will have a job to do to maximise our possibilities off the back of this.
Further, it’s added in the report that discussions will begin this summer over a lucrative new long-term contract for Emery which could make him one of the most highly-paid coaches in the world, and that comes after an extension was announced just weeks ago to keep him at Villa until 2027 at least.
There will of course be new challenges and hurdles to overcome on and off the pitch, but there is undoubtedly trust in those at the club to get it right when it comes to the big decisions.
Meanwhile, The Athletic report that qualifying for the Champions League should alleviate some of the concerns that were being raised over our position in relation to PSR after our post-tax loss of £119.6m was posted for the last financial year.
They echo the minimum £50m expectation that comes with qualifying for Europe’s premier competition, and coupled with the changes to the format and possible incentives in commercial deals, it could prove to be even more lucrative.
From a fan perspective, it’s hoped that the revenue increase further eases any concerns we might have to avoid any future breaches, but it will also hopefully allow Emery to continue to strengthen his squad with astute signings to ensure we build on this and continue to go from strength to strength.
While the sporting side of the club is on a sensational trajectory given where we were just 18 months ago, the business side must catch up and ensure that we make the most of our success on the pitch to make this a sustainable and consistent model for success.