LONDON (AP) — Leading soccer pundit Jamie Carragher has apologized to Aston Villa for comments he made on a podcast that prompted the English club to say it was taking legal action against the former Liverpool defender.
Carragher used an expletive toward Villa fans who had criticized him for suggesting Villa manager Unai Emery should consider taking over at Manchester United if under-pressure Michael Carrick was fired.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast that was broadcast on Thursday, Carragher said “there is a chain in football, whether you like it or not” and that “Aston Villa will never be Manchester United.”
Late Friday, a post on Villa's account on X, signed by chairman Nassef Sawiris, read: “Aston Villa will initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the club and its fans.
“Aston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football.”
Carragher responded with his own post on X on Saturday.
“I’d like to apologize to Aston Villa, the owners & their fans,” he wrote. "My language this week was clumsy & wrong.
“I can assure Villa fans it was tongue in cheek but I can understand it’s not come across that way, so apologies.”
Carragher is a leading name in soccer punditry, working for British broadcaster Sky Sports and and American broadcaster CBS since retiring from playing in 2013.
In 2018, Carragher was briefly suspended by Sky after being filmed spitting in the direction of a 14-year-old girl through his car window.
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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery attends the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 . (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery attends a press conference in Birmingham, England, Tuesday Oct. 20, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Atletico Madrid went top of La Liga — for a few hours, at least — with a 2-0 win over Levante, on a day featuring two of European soccer's biggest rivalries.
Left back Alejandro Grimaldo seized on a missed interception in the Levante defense to get Atletico started with a goal in the 36th minute, before Giuliano Simeone finished off an incisive team move for the second.
Atletico goes one point ahead of Barcelona at the top of La Liga, but Barcelona can take the place back when it plays Alaves later Saturday.
Players wore black armbands as Spain mourns after a deadly train collision. The Spanish soccer federation postponed 24 Copa del Rey games that had been scheduled for Wednesday.
Later Saturday, Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane and Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund in the German league without Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, who is resting after he was released from hospital following a sudden collapse last week. In Italy, AC Milan hosts Inter Milan in the latest edition of their famous rivalry.
In the English Premier League, Manchester United manager Michael Carrick's job is under yet more pressure after a 2-0 loss to Chelsea. League leader Manchester City was playing Brighton.
In the German Bundesliga, last season's Europa League finalist Freiburg beat Augsburg 2-1 on Cyriaque Irie's 85th-minute goal to stay third and cut the gap to one point behind leading duo Dortmund and Bayern ahead of their “Klassiker.” Leipzig is close behind in fourth after beating Schalke 2-0.
The league's top scorer Niclas Füllkrug added his ninth goal of the campaign as Werder Bremen beat Hoffenheim 2-0 to move up to fifth. Bayer Leverkusen's strong early form hit another setback in a 4-2 loss at home to Stuttgart for back-to-back defeats. Borussia Moenchengladbach and Paderborn drew 0-0.
In Italy, Bologna beat Monza 2-1 to move up to eighth in Serie A. In France, Troyes hosts Le Mans in the only top-division game of the day after three others were moved because of protests across the country.
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Freiburg's Igor Matanovic, center left and teammate Yannik Engelhardt celebrate a goal, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and SC Freiburg, in Augsburg, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)
