Jamie Carragher issued a public apology to Aston Villa, their owners, and supporters after the Premier League club threatened legal action over his comments regarding manager Unai Emery and Manchester United. The pundit admitted his language on a podcast was clumsy and wrong.
The controversy began after remarks made on the Stick to Football podcast, where the former Liverpool defender discussed the managerial situation at Old Trafford involving under-fire Manchester United manager Michael Carrick—whose position is hanging in the balance following a dismal start to the season—and suggested that Unai Emery, the former Paris St-Germain and Arsenal boss, would want to take charge of a giant club. During the broadcast, Carragher explained that there is a football chain where Real Madrid takes Manchester United’s best player as they did with Cristiano Ronaldo, and teams below Aston Villa take their players or manager, before telling Villa supporters to shut up and asserting that Aston Villa will never be Manchester United.
Aston Villa Prepares Legal Action Against Jamie Carragher
Late on Friday night, the club released a formal statement confirming that legal steps would be taken against the pundit for what they termed unacceptable insults, drawing fierce criticism from supporters and swift condemnation from the club hierarchy.
Aston Villa will initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the Club and its fans.Aston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football.Nassef Sawiris, Chairman pic.twitter.com/xUEcFKsiEx
Aston Villa will initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the club and its fans, Aston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football.
Nassef Sawiris, chairman
The statement signed by chairman Nassef Sawiris showed the club’s determination to protect its reputation and its upward trajectory in both domestic and continental competition.
Jamie Carragher Issues Social Media Apology Ahead of Fulham Match
Carragher took to social media on Saturday to retract his phrasing and express regret, facing backlash and the prospect of legal proceedings ahead of a Premier League home fixture against Fulham.
I’d like to apologise to Aston Villa, the owners and their fans. My language this week was clumsy and wrong, I can assure Villa fans it was tongue-in-cheek but I can understand it’s not come across that way, so apologies. Good luck today UTV [Up the Villa]!
Jamie Carragher, pundit
While maintaining that his comments on the Stick to Football podcast were intended as a joke and as praise for Emery—whom he described on the Overlap Daily podcast as the best manager in the league and someone Manchester United should consider when thinking about what is the best they can get—the former England international conceded that the delivery missed the mark entirely.
Aston Villa Fails to Respond to Weekend Retraction
Aston Villa officials had not issued a public response to the apology as the team prepared for Saturday night’s match against Fulham at Villa Park, and it is not yet known whether the club will proceed with the threatened legal action or consider the matter closed following the weekend retraction.