Carragher apologises to Aston Villa and their fans

Former Liverpool defender and television pundit Jamie Carragher apologised to Aston Villa and their fans on Saturday. The Premier League club had announced that it would take legal action over comments Carragher made about the team and its supporters on a podcast.

On the Stick to Football programme, Carragher addressed Villa fans harshly and said, "Aston Villa will never be Manchester United." He also raised claims that Villa manager Unai Emery could move to United if he got the chance.

Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris said on Friday that the club would not tolerate such remarks. Sawiris said the former England defender had made unacceptable insults against the club and its fans. The club did not say on what legal basis it would bring the case.

Carragher first argued that his comments were a joke and reminded listeners that he had been praising Emery for years. However, in a statement on X, he eventually admitted that his remarks were clumsy and wrong. He apologised to the club's owners, management and fans, and wished the team luck.