Paul Lambert has warned Aston Villa they have to find a way to bridge the financial gap to next season's Champions League rivals – and has cited one of his former clubs as an example to follow.
Financial Challenges Ahead
The ex-Villa boss, who was in charge from 2012-15, accepts that Villa are going to find it difficult to compete financially with clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City who have won two of the last three years. UEFA's spending rules mean the club's owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris cannot simply throw money at the problem; Villa have to find a way of increasing their revenue.
Dortmund's Model
Lambert, who won the trophy with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, thinks Villa could emulate their player development strategy, with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland having made their names with the Bundesliga outfit.
“It's a difficult one because I'm sure the manager will have ambitions of his own with the Champions League. I'm not saying they'd win it but if they're in the competition, they will want to go as far as they can,” he told Betway.
“As for the spending, can Aston Villa compete with Man City or PSG and Bayern? It would be so difficult because they tend to attract massive, massive players.
“But it depends on the model and what the owners want. Do they want success and to go for ready-made players where the ambition is Champions League. Well, to do that they have to go and get the best players.
“Or do they go for the young players and develop them? It depends on what the model is going to be.
“If you look at my old club, Borussia Dortmund, for example, they're an unbelievable club with incredible fan base, and it's a young team. Some guys come and go but they compete year in, year out with Bayern whose finances are way, way higher.
“But Dortmund's a different model from Bayern Munich. So with Aston Villa, I think the manager would want to make a dent in the Champions League game.”
