In case you hadn’t heard, Tottenham Hotspur’s season is still alive! Well, in Europe at least, and so all the eggs have gone into that basket. Unfortunately, Spurs do still have to contend with Premier League fixtures, albeit pointless ones, which means management of player fitness and conditioning in a manner as to prioritize the club’s European commitments.
With that in mind, Spurs are trying all avenues to fashion success in the Europa League, and as such requested movement of their May 18th fixture away at Aston Villa ahead of a hypothetical Europa League final - this according to Sami Mokbel of the BBC. Villa’s response?
Nah, we’re good, thanks.
Villa have reportedly rejected Spurs’ request. The final is currently scheduled for May 21st, three days after Spurs’ match in Birmingham (not London, guys), with the Villa fixture a week after the Lilywhites’ match against Crystal Palace and a whopping eight days after the Villains head to Bournemouth. The Spurs brass apparently asked for the match to be played on the 15th, which... sure, maybe there could have been some compromise somewhere between the 15th and 18th; but the proposed date is still four days after Villa take on the Cherries.
Mokbel is reporting Villa’s reasoning stems from them playing every 3-4 days through April (which, sure) and the fact that being their last home match of the season they have organized a number of fan-focused activities which couldn’t be easily rescheduled. There’s also the fact that Aston Villa are still in a battle for European (and Champions League) spots; but isn’t it more fun to imagine they are just being super messy and petty?
The infuriating thing is it actually helps clubs in Villa’s position for Spurs to do well in Europe. Trophies mean a decent weighting towards the FA’s European coefficient, resulting in more potential Champions League places for which Premier League sides could qualify - a bonus for a side like Villa who are at times on the cusp of those spots.
It may not matter, as Spurs still have to get past Bodø/Glimt, not a fait accompli, but I imagine the thinking was it was better to ask sooner or later. Regardless, the outcome has been a negative one: Aston Villa have rebuffed Spurs’ ask, and it remains to be seen if there is room for negotiation.