Aston Villa Confirm Significant Losses in End of Year Accounts 

Football - Premier League - Luton Town v Aston Villa - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - March 2, 2024 Aston Villa's Lucas Digne celebrates scoring their third goal as Luton Town's Thomas Kaminski reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Luton Town v Aston Villa - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - March 2, 2024 Aston Villa's Lucas Digne celebrates scoring their third goal as Luton Town's Thomas Kaminski reacts. (Reuters)
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Aston Villa Confirm Significant Losses in End of Year Accounts 

Football - Premier League - Luton Town v Aston Villa - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - March 2, 2024 Aston Villa's Lucas Digne celebrates scoring their third goal as Luton Town's Thomas Kaminski reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Luton Town v Aston Villa - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - March 2, 2024 Aston Villa's Lucas Digne celebrates scoring their third goal as Luton Town's Thomas Kaminski reacts. (Reuters)

Aston Villa confirmed a £119.6 million loss in their end of year accounts on Monday, despite a season that saw their return to European football after more than a decade.

The losses fuel concern around Villa's future transfer strategies amid the need to avoid running afoul of the league's tightened financial rules.

Profit and sustainability (PSR) regulations permit teams to lose a maximum of £105m over a three-year period, although investments in infrastructure, the academy, charity foundation and women's football can be deducted so teams are compliant with PSR rules.

"These figures are in line with the strategic business plan, and we continue to operate within the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules," the club said in a statement.

"The owners of Aston Villa remain committed to the long-term and sustainable development of the club, and we look forward to continued progress on the delivery of our strategic plan."

Aston Villa, who are currently on pace to play in the Champions League next season in fourth in the Premier League.

Villa reported an increase in revenue of £217.7m, up from £178.4m in the previous year.

The PSR calculation also allows teams to deduct any losses due to COVID-19 costs during the two seasons impacted by the pandemic.

Everton were docked 10 points in November for violating the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. The penalty was reduced to six points last week following an appeal.

The Merseyside squad face another potential points deduction after being charged with a separate breach of the league's financial rules in January, along with Nottingham Forest.

Villa are in action on Thursday at Ajax in a Europa Conference League last-16 game, and then host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday. They are five points ahead of fifth-placed Spurs although Tottenham have a game in hand.



Soccer-Bayern Munich on Brink of Bundesliga Title, Kane Eyes Record

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - 1. FC Heidenheim v Bayern Munich - Voith-Arena, Heidenheim, Germany - April 19, 2025 Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller and Harry Kane celebrate after the match REUTERS/Heiko Becke/ File Photo
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - 1. FC Heidenheim v Bayern Munich - Voith-Arena, Heidenheim, Germany - April 19, 2025 Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller and Harry Kane celebrate after the match REUTERS/Heiko Becke/ File Photo
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Soccer-Bayern Munich on Brink of Bundesliga Title, Kane Eyes Record

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - 1. FC Heidenheim v Bayern Munich - Voith-Arena, Heidenheim, Germany - April 19, 2025 Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller and Harry Kane celebrate after the match REUTERS/Heiko Becke/ File Photo
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - 1. FC Heidenheim v Bayern Munich - Voith-Arena, Heidenheim, Germany - April 19, 2025 Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller and Harry Kane celebrate after the match REUTERS/Heiko Becke/ File Photo

Bayern Munich will secure the Bundesliga title on Saturday with a win over top four hopefuls Mainz 05 if rivals and reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen fail to beat Augsburg.

The Bavarians, who last year saw Leverkusen clinch a league and Cup double undefeated, are eager to seal their 34th German league crown and reestablish their domestic dominance.

It would also help put last week's bitter Champions League quarter-final exit to Inter Milan behind them.

For 31-year-old forward Harry Kane, who has scored 60 goals in his 60 Bundesliga matches for Bayern so far, it would be the first major club trophy of his career, having failed to lift any silverware with Tottenham Hotspur or England, Reuters reported.

With 24 league goals so far, Kane is also on track to become the first player to win the top scorer title in both of his first two Bundesliga seasons.

Bayern are on 72 points with four matches left to play, and with Leverkusen second on 64.

For 35-year-old Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, who will be leaving at the end of the season after 25 years at the club, it could be his 500th league game for Bayern.

Only three other players in Bundesliga history have ever reached that mark playing for just one club: Charly Koerbel (602 games for Eintracht Frankfurt), Manfred Kaltz (581 matches for Hamburg SV) and Michael Lameck (518 for VfL Bochum).

While Bayern's title win looks all but certain and Leverkusen are sure of Champions League football next season being 12 points ahead of third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, there is a battle raging for the last two spots in the top continental club competition.

The top four finishers qualify automatically for the Champions League.

Eintracht, third on 52 points, host fourth-placed RB Leipzig, on 49, on Saturday. Freiburg, on 48, are fifth.

Mainz, sixth on 47 points, and seventh-placed Borussia Dortmund on 45, are still in with a chance, albeit slim, of finishing in the top four.

Dortmund, who travel to Hoffenheim on Saturday, have had a disappointing domestic campaign, dropping outside of the European spots.

Failure to qualify for the Champions League, a competition in which they reached the final last year, would be a major financial and sporting blow to the publicly-traded Ruhr valley club.

But club bosses know that the horror scenario would be missing out on European football completely next season.