But there is much more to this particular battlefield than meets the eye. Villa’s letter also highlighted concern about how this would be done. Civil war between City and the Premier League It affects the wider perception of English football that the world’s strongest league is plagued by infighting, information leaks and legal disputes, all before the trial into City’s 115 charges reaches a conclusion.

Two big moments in Villa’s recent history will have influenced their decision-making regarding the APT rules. The first, and more obvious, is that qualifying for the Champions League last season means the club is a much more attractive proposition for sponsors or wannabe investors.

On the pitch, Villa’s top-four finish opens up previously unattainable opportunities and elite European football is a good guarantee of increasing long-term commercial revenue. Tighter restrictions on APTs would, in theory, potentially impact any deal Villa’s holding company, V Sports, might seek to strike with an interested party.

The Villa has gradually become more compatible with the City plan since July 2018; however, V Sports agreed to take ownership of the Villa by purchasing a controlling stake from its previous owner, Chinese businessman Tony Xia, before completing the full takeover the following year.

The deal, completed by Sawiris and American billionaire Wes Edens, installed Egypt’s richest man as chairman and set them on a clear upward path, culminating in the appointment of current head coach Unai Emery, subsequent Champions League qualification and the opening of those lucrative doors. .

Unknowingly at the time, this brought Villa under a multi-club ownership model; This is something that is becoming increasingly popular in the Premier League. Last year, V Sports acquired a 29 percent stake in Portuguese club Vitoria SC and also established partnerships with clubs in Egypt, Japan and Spain.

City will be even more encouraged with this support

Last December, US Investment also secured Atairos’ investment in Villa as a minority shareholder, before taking a £50m stake in V Sports in October. These funds were transferred to Villa, increasing its stake in the club to 31.1 percent; this rate was very close to the 34.4 percent held by both Sawiris and Edens.

With V Sports web now broadcasting worldwide and amassing financial clout, and Sawiris known as a believer in the free market, an alliance with City always seemed possible.

Villa had already sided with City in votes on financial rules over the last six months. In June, Sawiris said: Finance Times was considering making a formal complaint It is against profitability and sustainability rules on the grounds that it is “anti-competitive”. “The (PSR) rules don’t make sense and are not good for football,” he said.

Tuesday’s letter reaffirmed those beliefs and, although Villa stressed that any vote would have to be postponed for 90 days, the blue half of Manchester will feel instantly encouraged upon receipt of the latest club-wide communication.