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.
Furious Sarri Slams Chelsea Players As "Difficult To Motivate" After Arsenal Defeat Rafael Jan 20, 2019 8 Comments Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri was so furious with his players after a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal he insisted on using a translator to ensure his every word was understood clearly without mistake.
Maurizio Sarri says Chelsea's players are 'extremely
Almoez Ali scored with a spectacular overhead kick for a record ninth goal of the Asian Cup to set Qatar on their way to a first continental title with a stunning 3-1 win over four-times champions
Sport Ali on target as Qatar stun Japan to win first Asian Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed fears after limping off during Portugal's 1-1 draw with Serbia on Monday night amid claims of a hamstring injury. In the 31st minute, the 34-year-old Juventus forward suddenly stopped running and griped his thigh, with Portugal chasing the game after a Dusan Tadic penalty goal handed Serbia the lead.
Zinedine Zidane allays fears over Cristiano Ronaldo injury
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has appeared to pave the way for him to take the Manchester United job full-time after saying his contract at Molde has expired. The interim Old Trafford boss has confirmed he is no longer contracted to the Norwegian side.
Football: Manchester United should give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Clearly, the pace has changed for the Lakers. After saying last summer the Lakers are intent on building a team that will be a contender for years and not just in the short term, team president
LeBron James-Less Lakers Compete, But Jazz End Two-Game
Low savours 'good signal' Serbia striker Milan Pavkov was sent off in stoppage time for this tackle on Germany's Leroy Sane during Wednesday's international friendly at the Volkswagen Arena which
10 Easy Fixes To Improve Weak Cell Phone Signal
Bologna players celebrate after scoring their side's first goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on May 20, 2019.
Bologna earn 'miracle' Serie A survival in six-goal Lazio
Jose Mourinho…. His name is never far from the lips of British football fans, whether they admire him or loathe him. Of course, that's exactly what the man himself desires, though the reasons for his need to be constantly in the headlines vary depending on who you speak to….
Manchester United need to do what Liverpool FC did to become
Report Ad
Check Out Real Madrid Barcelona on eBay. Fill Your Cart With Color Today!
Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Round of 16 - Iran v Oman - Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - January 20, 2019 Iran's Mehdi Taremi in action with Oman's Khalid Al-Braiki
AFC Asian Cup 2019 roundup: Iran ease past Oman into last
Pep Guardiola claimed he still doesn't believe Manchester City can win the quadruple after his side reached the FA Cup final with a 1-0 win over Brighton on Saturday. Guardiola's men were well
Guardiola coy over quadruple bid after City reach FA Cup final
Football: Singapore Premier League club Warriors barred from foreign hires by Ministry of Manpower for second time - The Straits Times SINGAPORE - For the second time in eight months, Singapore Premier League (SPL) club Warriors FC have had their work pass privileges suspended by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for violating the Employment Act.
Ministry of Football Private Limited - 9,986 Photos - Sports
0 comments:
Post a Comment