Controversy as fans hit out at Aston Villa playing mid-season friendly abroad during international break

There’s controversy on social media as fans hit out at Aston Villa playing a mid-season friendly abroad during the international break.

On Wednesday (19 March), the confirmed that they would play a friendly match with Al Ain FC on (Thursday, March 20) evening in Abu Dhabi.

“The game against the UAE Pro League side will kick off at 10pm local time at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

“Entry for all supporters is free of charge through fan gates 4, 5, 6 and 7. Gates open at 8pm local time.”

Aston Villa will play a friendly match with Al Ain FC tomorrow evening in Abu Dhabi.

The game against the UAE Pro League side will kick off at 10pm local time at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) March 19, 2025

 

The controversy surrounding Aston Villa’s decision to play a mid-season friendly abroad during the international break stems from fan frustration over the timing and purpose of the match.

On March 20, 2025, with the Premier League paused for international fixtures, Aston Villa traveled to Dubai for a warm weather training camp and scheduled a friendly against UAE Pro League side Al-Ain.

The club use it as an opportunity for players not on international duty, but it has been met with criticism, deemed by fans as unnecessary or disrespectful to the international break’s purpose.

The squad in Dubai is thin, including senior players like Marco Asensio, Jacob Ramsey, Tyrone Mings, Axel Disasi, Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, and Pau Torres, alongside younger players, as most first-team stars are representing their countries.

Those defending the decision to play this mid-season friendly point out it’s a practical move to keep fringe players sharp ahead of a critical season run-in, especially with Villa competing in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

Still, fans hit out at Aston Villa’s playing mid-season friendly abroad during international break…

@Topfourtiers: And they complain about the schedule…🤦‍♂️

@Pandamonium1881: Hang on? @EmiratesFACup replays not allowed because no time in the schedule no? Villa (and others no doubt) seem to have found room. @premierleague farcical #joke #money

@Streetyx3: Can’t play @Fa Cup replays, but can find the time for friendlies in a foreign country? Pathetic. (This is directed at the prem not just Villa)

@NFFCmatthew: Give it a few weeks and you’ll be complaining about being tired and playing to many games. Or a key player getting injured in a meaningless game.

@MarkAbel_28: Premier League Clubs complaining about too many fixtures and citing safety of players with injuries… FA Cup replays scrapped….Premier League Clubs arrange friendlies in Middle East 🤦🏼‍♂️

@Baughly89: Cancel fa cup replays so villa can play more friendlies like this.

@IanGabelli: I hope it doesn’t need to go to a replay

@nodgers: Oh no.. what about the busy premier league schedule. Good job those FA Cup replays got cancelled eh

@JoeBlog377719: Premier league clubs complaining to the @PFA that they are ‘PlaYiNG tOo MaNy GaMeS’ !! Yeah right!

@GeorgeMurfet_: Please don’t cry about the replays being scrapped. This has no correlation whatsoever 😂

@JacksonMacmanus: so FA Cup replays had to be banned coz of too many games, yet its fine to fly to the fucking middle east for a friendly mid-season? how is that not also too many games?

@_The72: Top PL clubs too overworked to play in FA Cup replays but meaningless cash grab friendlies halfway across the world during the international break, yeah they’re alright.

@Bodie0402: @FA this is ridiculous…. Bring back @EmiratesFACup replays and stop this nonsense during the domestic season

@EmmaGroundGuide: But they scrapped #FACup replays because the Premier League clubs playing in Europe have too many games… 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

@ChrisLukeJones: Good to know Tamworth couldn’t get a replay at Spurs because these lot play and travel too much 👍

@TomSleeman11: Reminder that Premier League clubs can jet off half way round the world for meaningless friendlies mid-season, but are unable to play FA Cup Replays in the same country due to fixture congestion.

@aldershot4ever: Fa cup replays scrapped so villa can play a friendly

@FredGodman: Disgrace. Have to get rid of fa cup replays cause of fixture congestion but can go around the world mid season for a friendly

@patrickpops: such a relief you managed to get those meaningless fa cup replays cancelled isn’t it.

@Turkey_Twizzler: Too many matches, the players are tired 😂

@AL_SNR58: Here’s me thinking that they stopped having replays because players were playing too much football.

@MikeyMcMahon: Thank fuck we got rid of FA Cup replays…

@TheExiledRobin: Great to see that removing those pesky FA Cup replays against lower league sides desperate for the money has allowed those poor, tired Villa players to enjoy a friendly in Abu Dhabi. Assume they’re doing this out of goodness of developing football? Absolute disgrace @henrywinter

@JayVtid: To everyone crying over FA Cup replays… Considering half of our squad is on international duty this friendly will just be a gloried training session. We’re not the only team to have gone off to do warm-weather training. 😂

@dxnrzx: Nah, bring back replays and make the moaners play them. Denied teams like Tamworth a chance to make life changing money for a club that size, but quite happy to jet off to Asia for one pointless, meaningless game. Football gone 👍