Fearless Madjo, 17, ends eight-month wait with dream Villa debut
Seventeen-year-old striker ends a 212-day wait to make his Aston Villa debut, scoring against Paris St-Germain after winning a CAS appeal against FIFA.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Seventeen-year-old striker Brian Madjo made his Aston Villa debut in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris St-Germain.
- Ended a frustrating 212-day wait after a registration battle with FIFA was resolved via the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
- Scored a brilliant first-half equalizer from John McGinn's cross before Villa eventually lost 2-1.
- Manager Unai Emery plans to utilize the youngster as a viable forward option ahead of the Premier League season.
After eight months in limbo, the long wait finally came to an end for Brian Madjo. Even though Aston Villa suffered a 2-1 defeat against Paris St-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday, the young striker made an immediate and impressive impact when finally given the chance to showcase his ability.
Having initially arrived from Metz in January, the 17-year-old put an end to the frustration that built up during his 212-day wait for competitive action with a grand entrance. The bruising England Under-17 international put in a performance that turned heads against the back-to-back Champions League winners, proving he can operate at the highest level.
Villa had been barred from registering the teenager by FIFA until they successfully appealed through the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the start of the month. Unleashed against PSG, he immediately repaid the faith shown in him by manager Unai Emery.
Villa fought since January to register the 6ft 4in Madjo following his 10 million pound arrival from Metz. While international transfers for Under-18 players are normally restricted, the club argued he should be exempt as he was born in London, despite representing Luxembourg in three friendlies prior to accepting an England Under-17 call-up, where he scored four goals in nine appearances including a debut goal against Venezuela.
"I wanted to play with young players and watch their progression. Brian started scoring goals against Walsall and Real Sociedad."
Unai Emery
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
FIFA regulations strictly prohibit international transfers for players aged 16 or 17 unless moving within the European Union—a bloc the UK is no longer part of. Aston Villa's successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport establishes a significant precedent for handling minor player registrations post-Brexit, enabling young talents like Madjo to feature at senior levels once legal hurdles are cleared.
The legal battle was won just eight days ago after Villa took their case to CAS in July, allowing Madjo to join the travelling squad to Salzburg. With Ollie Watkins rested following World Cup duty and Tammy Abraham on the bench, Emery handed the youngster responsibility up front after netting four pre-season goals.
His strike at the Red Bull Arena—holding off Ecuador international Willian Pacho to volley home John McGinn's cross—was the standout moment of his first-half display. It cancelled out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's opener before Desire Doue scored a second-half winner via VAR. Despite earlier missed chances, the powerful forward proved a constant nuisance for 11-time Ligue 1 winner Marquinhos.
Villa have been targeting a new striker this summer, such as Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson, but Madjo's impressive readiness gives Emery a fresh tactical option ahead of their Premier League opener against Brighton on August 23.
Source: BBC Sport
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment