Birmingham City owner aims surprise praise at bitter rivals Aston Villa amid 'inspiration' comment
Many of the football plaudits in Birmingham have been heading Aston Villa's way for a number of years - and rightly so.
Certainly in recent times, it has been Villa very much at the top of the tree, with their remarkable revival under Unai Emery that saw them this season reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Birmingham City amid their off field troubles have continued to slip, and were even relegated despite their US backed takeover.
However, last season they turned it around, amassing a record points haul to drag themselves back to the Championship.
They are preparing to go again next season with the owners having their eyes firmly on a return to the Premier League. And their owner Tom Wagner, the businessman behind the takeover that dragged the club from the doldrums, is looking across the city for inspiration.
In an exclusive interview with the i newspaper, Wagner singled out Birmingham's League One rivals from last season, Wrexham, as well as bitter neighbours Aston Villa for praise.
He is keen to emulate what Villa's owners have done across the city and not merely remain a 'cross town rival'.
He said: “When we look at clubs that have risen quickly over the number of years, as much as some won’t like me saying it.
"I think Villa has done an exceptional job of growing the club and the organisation and doing it in a way that should allow them to achieve long-term success, which ultimately is what we want, because we want a cross-town rival that’s good.
"Not a cross-town rival that performs poorly.”
