Aston Villa have expressed frustration over the Premier League’s decision to reschedule their upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur, moving it forward two days to 16 May. The change was made to give Spurs additional preparation time in case they reach the Europa League final on 21 May.
Originally scheduled for 18 May at 14:15 BST, the match will now take place on Friday, 16 May at 19:30. The request to move the fixture came from Tottenham, and the Premier League granted it.
Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, criticized the decision, calling it a display of “clear prejudice” against the club. In a post on social media, Vidagany said:
“Fixture changed and honestly, not happy. But it could be even worse. We really pushed—everyone in the club at different levels—with solid and fair grounds to protect our fans and keep the Spurs match on Sunday. Nothing against Spurs.”
He also noted that the club didn’t receive similar flexibility in previous seasons despite their own European commitments. According to Vidagany, Friday was the “least damaging” option, with Wednesday or Thursday also considered.
Villa’s director of football, Monchi, backed Vidagany, adding the change “was not what they wanted” and that the club’s supporters “didn’t deserve” the inconvenience.
