Football
Aston Villa announce former shirt sponsor Acorns to return for Champions League campaign
Joe Lyons is a sports writer with years of experience on reputable sports and gambling websites. Joe has also been published by Nottingham Forest, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, horse racing and American football. Joe specialises in long form content alongside news, tips and betting. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.
Get to know Joe Lyons betterPublished17 Sep 2024
To the delight of many nostalgic supporters, Aston Villa have announced former shirt sponsor Acorns will return for the club’s upcoming Champions League campaign.
Villa’s primary shirt sponsor, Greece-based betting firm Betano, have ‘kindly donated the space back to the club,’ who have since donated it to former partner Acorns.
This isn’t the first time this year that the West Midlands outfit will don the famous logo in Europe, having used it away from home in last season’s UEFA Conference League last 16-tie against Ajax.
The club’s former sponsor, another betting firm called BK8, could not be used in the Netherlands due to Dutch advertising regulations – prompting a welcome return for the children’s hospice.
Acorns makes another return to Villa shirts following primary sponsorship between 2008-10
Aston Villa have long been a partner of the charity which appeared on the front of their jerseys between 2008 and 2010 during a period of general success for the club.
In both 2008-09 and 2009-10, the Villans finished sixth in the Premier League table and many will fondly remember ‘Barclaysmen‘ such as Gabriel Agbonlahor, John Carew, Gareth Barry, James Milner and Ashley Young.
A season later, Villa added the likes of Stewart Downing, Fabian Delph, James Collins and Richard Dunne to their squad as Barry departed to Manchester City for a £12 million fee.
Chris Heck, President of Business Operations at Aston Villa, said: “We are delighted that Betano came to us to offer up the opportunity and ask who are the best beneficiaries of the space.
“It was an absolute no-brainer to bring Acorns back onto the front of shirt, an organisation close to the hearts of everyone involved with Aston Villa.”
Aston Villa is delighted to announce that Acorns will adorn the front of the players’ shirts in tonight’s Champions League opener against Young Boys.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 17, 2024
Villa odds-on favourites to taste success on return to pinnacle of European club football
According to the best football betting sites, Villa are a best-price 8/13 to claim victory on the road against Swiss outfit Young Boys in their maiden Champions League appearance – having not featured in the competition since it was rebranded in 1992.
The club made two appearances in the European Cup between 1981 and 1983, winning the competition in its entirety during their debut campaign in 1982.
Unai Emery’s predicted line-up for the clash features a number of changes from Saturday’s 3-2 comeback win against Everton, with Kosta Nedeljkovic and Ian Maatsen coming in for full-backs Lamare Bogarde and Lucas Digne.
This is a showdown the Premier League side should be winning comfortably, boasting a squad value almost ten times greater than that of the reigning Swiss Super League champions.