Aston Villa's football operations chief, Damian Vidagany, has issued a passionate plea for 'fair play' and 'respect' following a contentious Premier League stalemate against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
Frustration at Selhurst Park
The match at Selhurst Park ended in a 0-0 draw, a result that left the Villa camp deeply frustrated. The visitors hit the post late on and spurned several promising opportunities, while also relying on some fortune to keep Palace at bay in a game of few clear-cut chances.
However, the post-match focus shifted squarely to the officiating of referee Andy Madley. Villa manager Unai Emery was so incensed that he approached the official on the pitch at full-time to voice his complaints.
Emery's Penalty Grievance
Emery pinpointed a specific first-half incident where he believed Youri Tielemans was clearly impeded by Brennan Johnson at a corner. The Spaniard argued it was a 'potential penalty' and expressed bewilderment that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) did not intervene to review the challenge.
"I respect the referees, but they must check the action on Youri Tielemans," Emery stated. "He was being held for one, two, three seconds. I think this is the action." He also referenced other appeals, including those involving Morgan Rogers, which his team felt were unjustly dismissed.
Vidagany's Social Media Outburst
In the wake of the controversy, Damian Vidagany, the club's President of Football Operations, took to social media to articulate the club's collective sense of injustice. His post was a direct call for equitable treatment.
"Aston Villa deserves same respect than the other teams of EPL," he wrote. "We don't want any favour or injustice for others: we want and demand respect. You can see clearly this respect with other clubs and other players. We deserve the same... we want fair play. UTV!"
The strong statement underscores a feeling within the Villa hierarchy that their team is not receiving the same level of consideration from match officials as some of their top-flight rivals.
The dropped points leave Villa reflecting on what might have been, with the debate over refereeing standards set to rumble on. The club's clear message is that they seek nothing more than consistency and fairness as they continue their campaign.
