- Aston Villa’s President of Business Operations, Francesco Calvo, spoke to supporters at a Q&A event at the Warehouse last weekend
- It was an opportunity for fans to ask questions to do with anything around the club in an offer for transparency
- The talk covered a range of topics, such as the financial rules and stadium improvements
Last Sunday, Aston Villa’s President of Business Operations, Francesco Calvo, attended a supporters meeting event for a Q&A at the Warehouse.
Damian Vidagany, Tommy Jordan and Richard Stevens were alongside him as they faced questions from gathered fans.
In an attempt to offer more transparency between the hierarchy and the Villa faithful, a big talking point was the financial rules and how they’re impacting the club.
It has long been known that Villa have faced a persistent battle with both the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and UEFA’s Squad Cost Rules (SCR).
Although under Unai Emery, they have done so well to get into Europe for three consecutive seasons, it has actually had more impact on their financial wiggle room than if they had not qualified. There is another layer of rules they have to comply with that are quite different from the Premier League’s rules, making it extremely difficult to continue the growth of their squad.
However, from next season, their rules will adopt a similar style to UEFA’s.
For as long as their revenue is still playing catch-up to where they are on the pitch, each season, they will need to sell players in order to not only comply, but also to bring in new ones.
The luxury that Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, etc have by being able to buy whoever they want without the pressure to sell first is one Villa does not have.
It’s a stark reality for most clubs trying to break into the upper echelon of European football.
How does Calvo view the current rules?
In the event, Calvo was asked: “The current financial rules appear to protect some clubs. Will clubs start challenging these rules?”
In his response, Calvo said, “The football ecosystem, and the governors of football, is a difficult one because it is different in different countries and different leagues, UEFA competitions too. If you don’t participate in Europe, you have more freedom. It makes it difficult.
“The new Premier League rules are pushing clubs to invest. If they want to spend more, then they need to invest more because they need to develop their revenues. This is good because we have invested a lot, and our ownership group wants to keep investing.
“Football, in general, has a problem with profitability. We have seen accounts from the English clubs in the last season, and 16 of the clubs are losing money, which is a warning for all of us.”
“We want to perform, and the ambition is there. I was telling people in an internal meeting that Unai is the most ambitious person I have met in my life. Unai stresses himself to improve every day. This is what Unai is asking us, Damian and Roberto, too. It’s what the owners are asking us – how do we improve every day?
“The financial regulations make us worried because we want to comply with the rules, but the ambition and what the club has achieved in three and a half years is that ambition has no limit and that if we walk in the right way, there is somehow no limit for us.”
While PSR and SCR present significant hurdles, essentially taxing the club’s success on the pitch, Calvo’s insights reveal a hierarchy undeterred by these constraints. By focusing on aggressive revenue growth, with their new plans for the North Stand helping, and leveraging Emery’s relentless drive, Villa aim to bridge the gap with the “Big Six.”
Ultimately, their path forward has to be very calculated. They must navigate a landscape designed to protect the established elite and prove that strategic investment can eventually overcome restrictive regulations.
