LONDON (REUTERS) - Aston Villa face Derby County in the Championship play-off final on Monday (May 27) with both clubs desperate for a return to the Premier League in a game billed as the richest in world football with at least £170 million (S$297 million) on the line.
Villa have been out of the top flight for three seasons while Derby have been stuck in the second tier of English football since relegation in 2008.
A 10-match winning streak during the run-in propelled Dean Smith's Villa into the playoffs where they got past West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion.
"The key thing is momentum," said former Brentford manager Smith, who took over from Steve Bruce at Villa Park in October. "I feel we have a lot of that going into it (the final), given our run towards the end of the season and our two dominant play-off games. We can take it into the final."
Derby produced a brilliant performance with a 4-2 win over Leeds United in their play-off second leg at Elland Road earning them a place at Wembley.
Derby manager Frank Lampard, the former Chelsea and England midfielder who is in his first season as a manager, believes his team are well suited for the high-pressure encounter.
"The 'Cup' football feeling has been good for us. We've had to get results for a while now, going back to probably the QPR game (a 2-0 home win on April 22). We'll need big game mentality on Monday," he said.
Lampard is up against his former club and international team-mate John Terry, who is Smith's assistant at Villa.
The two clubs have proud histories. Seven-time English champions Villa were European Cup winners in 1982, while Derby were twice English champions in the 1970s.
Champions Norwich City and runners-up Sheffield United have already secured promotion to the top flight and the rewards for Villa and Derby joining them are eye-watering.
According to analysis from Deloitte's Sports Business Group, promotion will bring an increase in revenue of at least £170 million, rising to a minimum of £300 million if the play-off winners avoid relegation in their first season.
The £170 million includes £95 million in revenue from playing in the Premier League in 2019-20, mostly from broadcast and commercial revenue, and a total of £75 million in parachute payments in 2020-21 and 2021-22 if they go straight down.
However, the £170 million rises to at least £300 million if they survive their first season in the top flight.
Qatar punished unwelcoming hosts United Arab Emirates 4-0 in a politically charged clash marred by disgraceful behavior from shoe-throwing fans Tuesday to reach their first Asian Cup final. The Qataris, whose national anthem was drowned by boos before the game, face Japan in Friday's final after
AFC Asian Cup 2019: Qatar reach final after routing UAE 4-0
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been hit with an Football Association charge for improper conduct following his side's loss at Burnley last weekend. Pochettino confronted referee Mike Dean after the game which developed into lengthy and heated exchange.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino hit with improper conduct
Step up or ship out: Solskjaer. Second-placed City, on 86 points, will reclaim top spot from leaders Liverpool (88) with a win today. James Milner, who has played for three of United's fiercest
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warns his squad must be fit before pre
Aussies power to Perth Test victory. The very factors that had been tipped to decide this second Test before a ball had been bowled in anger. Fourth Test, SCG. Australia squad: Tim Paine
Post-scandal Australia 'grit' hailed after 'best win' for decades
Singapore. Football: New FAS technical director Joseph Palatsides aims to revive 'sleeping giant' Singapore. channelnewsasia.com - Matthew Mohan. SINGAPORE: The Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) new technical director Joseph Palatsides hopes to translate Singapore's "culture of …
Joe Palatsides is new FAS Technical Director - Football
Germany's new-look team made a promising return to the international stage with a 1-1 draw against Serbia in a friendly on Wednesday, showing signs of improvement following a disastrous 2018.
Football: New-look Germany make promising start with Serbia draw
"What keeps happening with Bale is a real shame. I like him a lot as a player but he is nowhere near being the leader of the team after Cristiano Ronaldo left," Mijatovic told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. "It's worrying that he gets injured so often."
Bale 'nowhere near' being Madrid's leader, says Mijatovic
Chris Wood scored twice as Burnley all but secured Premier League safety with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Cardiff, leaving the Welsh club deep in relegation trouble and their manager Neil
Wood double gives Burnley win over Cardiff in relegation scrap
United, Spurs, Juve and Inter ready to heat up ICC Singapore
Top 10 Dramatic Comebacks Of 2016 Top 10 Greatest Comebacks In Football History Hit LIKE and SUBSCRIBE Thank you for watching! If you enjoyed, please Subscribe Leave your opinion! Thank for the
Top Ten NFL Running Backs of All Time - TheTopTens®
Valencia eased into the semi-finals of the Europa League for the first time in five years with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to fellow Spanish side Villarreal in heavy rain on Thursday for a
Valencia stroll into Europa semis with Villarreal win - Daily
Arsenal and Chelsea player ratings: Star players as Premier League sides reach Europa League final Chelsea beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, while Arsenal saw off Valencia in Spain
Football: Chelsea beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties to
0 comments:
Post a Comment