Aston Villa face 'substantial loss of revenue' after UEFA charge, appeal unlikely to work
Aston Villa face losing "substantial revenue" due to the actions of some supporters at the Europa League final.
That is according to former FIFA referee Keith Hackett, who was reacting to news of a charge being handed out by UEFA.
Villa fans are still buzzing from their 3-0 victory over Freiburg in Istanbul a little over a month ago.
However, the Villans have been fined £10,000 by the governing body and risk an away-day ban for a game.
That is as a result of actions from some supporters inside Tupras Stadyumu.
And the ramifications to Villa could go beyond the upfront £10,000 fine that has already been dished out.
What are Aston Villa being punished for?
Villa fans were praised for their behaviour as they travelled in their thousands for the showpiece event.
Goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers earned Villa some rare silverware.
But there was one blemish as Villa were charged by UEFA on Wednesday over racist and/or discriminatory behaviour from their fans.
BBC Sport reports that it relates to a banner of an offensive and derogatory nature.
UEFA can impose a ban on Villa from selling tickets to a European away game should they repeat the offence over the next two years.
Giving his views on that punishment, Hackett exclusively told Villa News: "UEFA take a much more draconian approach when fans fail to conform to their regulations.
"The financial fine is frankly peanuts in the bigger picture of the annual turnover of a Premier League club.
"While the view might be taken that a small number of fans were responsible for the banner being unfurled and its derogatory comments, sadly, the proper fans are penalised because of the few that fail to conform.
"We often think that players raising their shirt or taking it off results in a yellow card. This sanction was brought in to stop any political comments been portrayed on a players under garment.
"The fact that Aston Villa may be unable to sell tickets to fans for an away game will see a substantial loss of revenue."
Are Aston Villa likely to appeal the sanction?
Asked if an appeal is likely, Hackett added: "I am sure they will attempt to appeal these decisions, which are made by the UEFA Disciplinary panel. Their decisions are rarely overturned."
It appears the best course of action for Villa is to accept the fine and the slap on the wrist.
The problem will only then escalate if supporters commit a similar offence over the next two years.
Villa fans are famed for creating superb atmospheres, but let's just hope nobody crosses the line again - as was the case in this instance - or thousands of others will also be impacted.