Aston Villa Slammed by Fans after Releasing ‘AI slop’ in Bologna Build-Up: ‘This is Absolutely Awful’

Credit: Imago

Thu 9 April 2026 11:02, UK

Aston Villa have faced massive criticism after publishing an AI-generated preview video for their Europa League quarter-final against Bologna on Thursday.

The Villans posted a video that portrayed a lion walking into the city of Bologna and facing off with a knight, chosen to represent the Italian side.

Unai Emery’s team will play the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Thursday, in the hopes of taking a lead back to Villa Park next week.

The usage of AI-generated content has attracted massive criticism across the social media world, with sporting clubs and organisations under particular fire.

Villa fans are the latest to express their anger at their club for their role in a phenomenon which is both costing significant energy and resulting in a loss of jobs in the graphic design industry.

Aston Villa fans share outrage at ‘horrendous’ video

Villa will land £3million if they can beat Bologna over two legs and secure their place in the Europa League semi-finals.

While that money does not directly go into the fund that would pay graphic designers, there is certainly no shortage of funds at Villa Park to pay employees.

That is part of the reason why Villa’s decision to post an AI-generated video on Wednesday night has attracted so much criticism.

While the video itself does not contain any of the noticeable mistakes that are usually associated with such content, it was clearly not produced by a designer.

AI-generated videos seem to share a certain look that is easily identifiable, if you know what you are looking for.

Villa fans expressed their anger immediately to the post, and one fan wrote: “Can we go back to using real artists, please, thanks”.

“Using AI is disgusting – pay people to make stuff,” wrote another fan, sharing a sentiment that was felt throughout the replies.

Other X users described the video as “horrendous”, with a phrase that internet users will be familiar with littered throughout the responses: “AI slop”.

Villa must do better

Villa are a Premier League club with immense funds and incredible reach. It would not be difficult for them to attract a graphic designer within any time frame.

The fact that they chose to use AI to produce their pre-match video is a staggering insult to every freelance creator.

Unfortunately, Villa are not alone. Many organisations have begun to incorporate AI into their social media work, despite the clearly negative attitude towards it.

The remaining hope is that the Villans have noticed the response and will not make the same mistake again, but for much of the social media world, the horse has already bolted.