League Championship side Aston Villa "announced the launch of its own gaming/esports division, which will kick off by hosting a set of FIFA 18 tournaments," according to Graham Ashton of THE ESPORTS OBSERVER. The first of these tournaments "will take place in June, as part of a partnership with European Gaming League." Villa will "host seven, weekly qualifier tournaments on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, each awarding pro points to top competitors." These will "lead up to a final for the top three players, and one last-chance qualifier." This is not the first time EGL has "collaborated with" an English football club. The tournament organizer "runs The Coalition and Microsoft sanctioned EGL Gears Open, which will be held in June from Stamford Bridge -- the home of Chelsea." There is "no indication at this point that the club will host its own FIFA players," or how else Villa will "engage in esports beyond these tournaments." To date, no professional English football club has "signed players in any non-football related titles" (THE ESPORTS OBSERVER, 5/24).
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