How Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has reacted to Birmingham City's 62,000-seater stadium reveal | OneFootball

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has given his reaction to local rivals Birmingham City unveiling their plans for a new 62,000-seater stadium.

Birmingham City have unveiled their plans to build a new 62,000-seater stadium, but Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was giving little away when asked for his reaction to the proposals.

Birmingham first announced their ambitious plans to build a new stadium back in April 2024 when they bought the 48-acre former Birmingham Wheels motorsport site, and after over 18 months of anticipation, the design was finally revealed on Thursday.

The stadium, which will be known as the Birmingham City Powerhouse until a naming rights deal is agreed, will be at the heart of a multi-billion pound redevelopment in the city, and it will be able to hold 62,000 supporters, as well as being visible from an incredible 40 miles away.

The state-of-the-art stadium will be surrounded by 12 chimneys to reflect the city's industrial heritage, while it will also have a retractable roof and moveable pitch, which will allow other sporting and entertainment events to be held there.

The Blues are aiming to have their new stadium open for the start of the 2030-31 season, and while the stadium alone will cost £1.2 billion to build, with the entire Sports Quarter project costing between £2-3 billion in total, owner Tom Wagner has predicted it could generate a staggering £750 million per year.

In a press conference following the reveal, Wagner admitted that he and his fellow board members looked like "complete lunatics" for making such bold plans while in League One, but he insisted the new stadium would be "a beacon of excellence for Birmingham on the global stage", as well as providing the team "with a competitive advantage from day one".

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts as Birmingham City stadium plans unveiled

It is fair to say that Wagner has never made any secret of his big ambitions for Birmingham, with the American revealing in the summer that the club are aiming for back-to-back promotions this season as they look to achieve their dreams of Premier League football.

However, having previously stated that he is keen to see the Blues face bitter rivals Aston Villa in Europe one day, it seems Wagner is not just content with leading the Blues back to the top flight and is instead keen to shift the balance of power in the Midlands.

Villa have certainly had the upper hand on their near neighbours in recent times, with Emery's men becoming regulars on the European stage over the past few years, and the Spaniard did not seem too impressed with Birmingham's plans for their new stadium, insisting that his full focus was on his side, rather than other clubs.

When asked if he would like to manage in a Second City derby during his time at Villa Park in light of the Blues' stadium proposals, Emery told Birmingham Live: "I am focusing on our matches and I am focusing on everything here that we are trying to build.

"We have a lot of teams here around the city and I am not focusing about them. Nothing. Only in our way."

Aston Villa may be looking over their shoulder after Birmingham City stadium reveal

As things stand, Aston Villa are the dominant force in the Midlands, and it will take a lot for Birmingham to claim that title any time soon, but Wagner should certainly not be underestimated as he looks to bring the club back to the top table of English football.

Many initially laughed off Wagner's plans to build a new 62,000-seater stadium while the Blues were in League One, but with the design now unveiled and a timeline in place for the Sports Quarter to be completed, it is clear that his ambition knows no limits, and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals for the club.

Birmingham have found the Championship a little trickier than they might have expected so far this season, but there is no doubt they are heading in the right direction, and if they continue on their current trajectory, they could be an established Premier League club by the time the new stadium opens.