Aston Villa confirm Keith Wyness is out as CEO; Club is ready for a legal fight

Aston Villa have released another Club Statement (this is number three for those of you counting at home).

Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Keith Wyness has now left the Club.

The Club notes the media speculation relating to Keith’s departure and prospective legal proceedings.

The Club will be happy to defend legal proceedings if called on to do so and does not propose to comment further at this time.

The rumors/reporters have been swirling for days about the breakup between the CEO and the owner. Some speculated that Wyness had been fired right after the playoff final loss to Fulham, but that appears to not to have been accurate.

The club was left with little choice but to publicly acknowledge the separation following Monday’s report of Wyness taking legal action. The actual lawsuit is possibly just a negotiating tactic to ensure a larger cash settlement for Wyness on his way out the door (which Villa can’t really afford — thanks in at least part to Wyness) — but judging by the final line of the Villa statement the club isn’t going to be pushed into that corner without a fight.

The bravado of, “The Club will be happy to defend legal proceedings if called on to do so” is an interesting tactic. As part of a public statement it appears to be meant to bluster supporter’s confidence. I’ll admit it makes me nervous because a protracted legal battle is yet another avenue I don’t want to see Aston Villa go down. But — then again — maybe that emotion is exactly what the former CEO is hoping for so he can grab as much cash on the way out the door as possible.

I bet we will find out more on the next episode of Aston Villa’s Club Statements.