Aston Villa is aiming to shake up the traditional hierarchy at the top of the English Premier League, which is regularly dominated by the Big Six – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
“I came here to open the door for the Big Six and be part of something very special,” said Chris Heck, who manages Villa’s business operations.
Controlled by Nassef Sawiris, Egypt’s richest man, and US billionaire Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group, Villa is seeking to break the grip the six clubs have had at the top of the Premier League over the last decade.
The Birmingham-based club sit fourth in the Premier League table, putting Villa on course to qualify for the UEFA Champions League ahead of Spurs. A place in the top four guarantees a place in Europe’s elite and most lucrative club competition and would be a major step forward for the club as they prepare to celebrate their 150th season.
“We are knocking on the door of the Champions League. “We want to be at that level and we want to stay there,” added Heck, who previously held executive positions with the Philadelphia 76ers basketball franchise and the New York Red Bulls soccer team.
Despite narrowly avoiding relegation in 2020, the club has since re-established itself as a force to be reckoned with.
Led by Spanish head coach Unai Emery, who signed a new contract with the club last month, Villa are, for now, the last English men’s team to feature in European competition this year. In the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday, the club will try to overcome a 2-4 deficit from the semi-final first leg against Greek club Olympiakos Piraeus.
Qualifying for the Champions League is the big prize for Villa, boosting revenue growth and pitting the club against European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and AC Milan. Villa won the 1982 European Cup, the precursor to the Champions League.
Speaking at the club’s new London office, Heck said it was crucial to increase revenue to be competitive and highlighted opportunities in merchandise, sponsorship and expanding the club’s home stadium from around 42,600 to around 50,000 Seats stand out.
Last month, Villa announced that betting brand Betano would replace BK8 as a front-of-shirt sponsor from next season. Heck declined to comment on the value of the sponsorship, but the new deal is worth about £20 million a year, up from about £8 million previously, according to a person briefed on the matter.
“If we don’t generate revenue, we can’t participate,” Heck said. “I have the chance to flip the switch: the globalization of the club and the brand.”
Clubs are under pressure to increase their commercial revenues to comply with financial regulations that the Premier League is now vigorously enforcing.
Villa have proposed increasing the losses allowed under the league’s profitability and sustainability rules from £105m to £135m over three years, according to a person familiar with the club’s situation. Heck declined to comment.
The loss limit, which allows exceptions for investments such as infrastructure and women’s football, has not been adjusted for inflation since it was introduced in 2013, insiders report.
Separately, the UK government is also planning to introduce an independent football regulator for English football, given its heavy losses and reliance on owner funding throughout the game.
Villa found themselves in a financially precarious situation in 2018 when Edens and Sawiris took control. The following year, Villa achieved promotion back to the Premier League after being relegated from English football’s top flight in 2016 for the first time since 1987.
The club, owned by V Sports, a joint venture between Sawiris and Edens, posted a net loss of almost £120 million in the year to May 2023, after making a small profit a year earlier. Revenue rose by more than a fifth to £217m, driven by double-digit percentage increases in ticketing, broadcasting, sponsorship and advertising.
However, the club’s wage bill rose by more than 40 percent to £194 million, bringing operating costs to £357 million.
V Sports, which also owns shares in Portuguese club Vitória, sold a minority stake in December to investment company Atairos, which has ties to broadcasters Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky. The deal valued Villa at more than £500 million.
Along with teams like Saudi-backed Newcastle United, Villa are now one of the bigger contenders for the top spot in the Premier League as well as commercial deals.
“Actually, I like the term ‘The Great Eight’ and you can decide who you want to put in with us,” Heck said, adding: “I respect all of these clubs, but the name ‘Big Six’ may go away.” Sooner than you think.”