Youri Tielemans has apologised to Aston Villa supporters after admitting he made a mistake with comments comparing his former club to Manchester United.
The Belgium international left Villa for Old Trafford earlier this summer after United activated the £35million release clause in his contract.
Tielemans subsequently praised his former club but caused controversy by suggesting there were teams “above Villa”, with Manchester United among them. He has now addressed the backlash directly.
Youri Tielemans apologises to Aston Villa supporters
Tielemans said he never intended to offend supporters or diminish Villa after three successful years at the club.
Writing on social media, the midfielder acknowledged making a mistake with his wording and apologised, adding that he remains grateful to Villa for his time in Birmingham.
His clarification arrives only weeks after an emotional farewell message in which he spoke warmly about his relationship with the club.
ReadAstonVilla reported in July how Tielemans thanked Aston Villa supporters following his £35m move to Manchester United, describing wearing the shirt as a privilege and saying part of his heart would remain at Villa Park.
The reaction to his latest comments is understandable given the contribution he made under Unai Emery.
Tielemans spent three seasons at Villa after arriving on a free transfer from Leicester City in 2023. He made 134 appearances and became a key member of the side that returned to the Champions League before winning the Europa League last season.
His most memorable contribution came in that Europa League final, when he opened the scoring as Villa ended their long wait for major silverware.
The midfielder’s move to United brought an important period of his Villa career to an end, but his first farewell suggested he wanted to leave on good terms.
Tielemans has now moved quickly to clarify his latest comments and ensure his respect for Villa is not misunderstood.
