Aston Villa will pursue legal action â against pundit Jamie â Carragher, the Premier League club has said, accusing the former Liverpool defender of making âÂÂunacceptable insultsâ about the â club and their supporters.
VillaâÂÂs response followed comments by Carragher on the Stick to Football podcast, where he told Villa â supporters to âÂÂshut the [expletive] upâ and said, âÂÂAston Villa will never be Manchester UnitedâÂÂ, suggesting there is a hierarchy in football.
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âÂÂIâÂÂm not trying to annoy Villa fans but there is a chain in football, whether you like it or not,â said Carragher. âÂÂSo Real Madrid will take Man UnitedâÂÂs best player, theyâÂÂll take [Cristiano] Ronaldo. ThereâÂÂs very few above United, the same with Liverpool.
âÂÂBut there will be teams below Aston Villa and they [Villa] will take their manager or they will take their players, so shut the f*** up Villa fans. Aston Villa will never be Man United.âÂÂ
With Michael CarrickâÂÂs role at United in danger after the teamâÂÂs dismal start to the season, Carragher also discussed speculation linking Villa manager Unai Emery with a move to Old Trafford should the opportunity arise.
âÂÂAston Villa will initiate âÂÂlegal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the club and its fans,â Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris said on Friday.
âÂÂAston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football.âÂÂ
The club did not say on what legal basis it would take action. It did not â immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The news agency added that Carragher â did not immediately respond to a request for comment on VillaâÂÂs threat. He has sought to defuse the controversy, saying he made the remarks in jest.
âÂÂIt â was a joke after the stick Villa fans have given me over saying Emery â may fancy joining Man Utd,â Carragher said â on social media.
âÂÂI hope these clown clips show me praising Emery/Villa like I have done for years & saying how pleased I was you won [the 2026 Europa âÂÂLeague] in Istanbul.âÂÂ
Carragher also reiterated that his comments reflected his high regard for Emery rather than any perceived shortcomings at âÂÂVilla, âÂÂsaying he regarded the Spaniard as one of the best managers in the Premier League.