The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word VILLA
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
V
I
L
L
A
More clues leading to the result VILLA
- Holiday property unfavourably situated in Virginia
- House in very seedy area
- Roman road circling two lakes and country house
- Miscreant, but not in the House
- Dwelling that's bad in Virginia
- Very sick beginning to ‘Animal House‘
- Football team in very unfortunate article
- Taken from weevil larvae discovered in house
- After six, everyone returns home
- House 21
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Football team" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case football team = villa.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does VILLA mean?
VILLA noun- (plural "villas") A house, often larger and more expensive than average, in the countryside or on the coast, often used as a retreat.
- (plural "villas") A family house, often semi-detached, in a middle class street.
- (plural "villae") A country house, with farm buildings around a courtyard.