Prince William was present at Aston Villa’s Europa League final victory, rushing into the dressing room just before the match while John McGinn paid his respects.
Prince William enjoyed taking part in the celebrations at Aston Villa, but the future king was spotted drinking beer as part of a dressing room party after their Europa League glory.
The Prince of Wales is a lifelong Villa fan and has appeared at some of Villa’s most important moments. He stayed in Istanbul and had his last success, dispatching Germany’s Freiburg to win their first major trophy since 1996.
First-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia also laid the foundations for the club’s first European success since 1982. Morgan Rogers added some sparkle in the second half as William cut an emotional figure in the stands.
He was invited to the post-match celebration. Matty Cash admitted he was enjoying a beer with the players in the locker room. “He deserves moments like this and hopefully he can let his hair down,” the full-back said.
read more: Prince William’s emotional reaction as Aston Villa win their first European trophy in 44 yearsread more: Aston Villa’s Unai Emery extends Europa League record and wins first trophy in 30 years
The prince then shared a photo with the giant trophy alongside the likes of Unai Emery, who won the Europa League for the fifth time, and Villa manager Damian Bidagany.
McGinn revealed that William immediately spoke to the players before kick-off. The Scot praised his character and joked that he was welcome to join in the celebrations once he got the bill. McGinn told TNT Sports: “He’s a classy guy and he was in the dressing room before the game. He’s a big Villa fan so he wasn’t going to miss it. It’s great to have the support. He’s just a normal guy.”
The Villa ace admitted he was hoping to join the royal family, saying: “Hopefully he can have a few drinks with us and give us a credit card at the end of the night.”
The royal family poses with the trophy, Unai Emery and Villa manager Damian Bidagany (Image: https://x.com/AVFCOfficial)
Prince William shed tears of joy as Aston Villa won the Europa League final
Prince William has previously taken his son to matches, leading to some iconic photos, and while praising Villa’s efforts, he also mentioned one of the notable absentees.
He said on social media: “What a great night!! My heartiest congratulations to the players, the team, the staff and everyone involved at the club! 44 years since we last tasted European silverware! A special shout out to Boubacar Camara, who has been an integral part of the team despite being out injured, and who laid the foundations for this success… UTV (Up the Villa), VTID (Till Death Villa).”
Victor Lindelof’s wife posted a photo of William at the afterparty with the caption “Off the rails” (Image: Instagram/majanilssonlindelof)
The party didn’t stop there, as Villa defender Victor Lindelof’s wife shared an image of William partying with family and friends from the team. Maya Lindelof posted the image on her social media story with a caption that means “derailed.”
Villa’s excellent season had already secured them a return to the Champions League even before they won the Europa League final. Unai Emery continues his form in the Midlands and could move up to fourth place on the final day as he further stamps his name on Europe’s secondary tournaments.
Aston Villa easily defeated Freiburg to win the trophy (Image: Aston Villa FC, via Getty Images)
“Every time I have had success in this competition, I have needed good players. Now I am very grateful to the players. They follow our ambitions. They are the protagonists on the field. This is why I do not feel that I am the king in this competition. I am really grateful. Together we are the king.”
“After the club won the European Cup in 1982, what they lacked was supporters, a trophy. I’m very happy to have achieved this, but I’m not going to quit.”
Villa’s official ticket allocation was 10,758 tickets, but 20,000 people traveled to Turkey and packed into bars and cafes near Istanbul’s famous Taksim Square, with celebrations lasting late into the night.
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