Prince William was at the centre of Aston Villa’s jubilant celebrations as they sealed a historic 3-0 Europa League triumph over German side Freiburg in Istanbul.
The Prince of Wales – who has supported Villa since his school days – was spotted front and centre at Besiktas Park, punching the air in delight as Unai Emery’s side lifted their first major trophy in 30 years.
Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia set the tone with two stunning first-half strikes before Villa wrapped up the win through England star Morgan Rogers’ 58th-minute goal, sparking wild celebrations among the Birmingham club’s travelling fans.
After the final whistle, William joined in the jubilant scenes and was pictured alongside the Villa boss with the trophy in the tunnel.
William posted on X after the final whistle: ‘Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!
‘Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success.
‘UTV! VTID’.
Earlier in the evening, William had paid a pre-match visit to the Villa dressing room, offering a final word of encouragement as Emery’s side prepared for the biggest game in a generation.
After the final whistle, Prince William was pictured alongside Aston Villa manager Unai Emery with the Europa League trophy
Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia both thundered in equally spectacular first-half goals to put Villa firmly in control at the break, prompting jubilant celebrations from the Prince of Wales
Villa wrapped up the win after breakthrough England star Morgan Rogers scored in the 58th minute, sparking jubilation among fans as they received their first major trophy in 30 years
William appeared emotional as he watched his side charge to victory at Besiktas Park
Dressed smartly in a black suit and blue shirt, he initially cut a tense figure while making his way through the tunnel ahead of kick-off. But there was little sign of nerves once the action began, as he cheered on a famous – and relatively straightforward – victory for the Birmingham club.
‘He’s a classy guy, he was in the dressing room before the game,’ Villa captain John McGinn said.
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‘He’s a massive Villa fan and he was never going to miss it. It’s great to have his support and he’s just a normal guy. Hopefully it (his support) continues and tonight he can have a couple of drinks with us and maybe get his credit card out at the end of the night.’
In the lead-up to the game against the German side, defender Ezri Konsa said that William referring to him as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ counted as the greatest compliment of his career, and that the team were grateful for his support.
‘It’s weird because on game day when he comes in you’re focused on the game a lot, so sometimes you’re in the moment and you don’t realise how big it is that you have got him coming in to greet everyone, shaking everyone’s hand,’ said Konsa, a regular for Villa and England.
‘You go home and think: “Flipping hell, I just shook his hand, he knows my name”. It’s massive and to have his support is brilliant for the club and the players.
‘He called me a Rolls-Royce once. That got stuck in my head. I’ll take that all day. It was really nice.
Looking smart in a suit jacket and blue shirt, William looked nervous before kick-off
This was Villa’s first major trophy win in 30 years – and their first European trophy victory in 44 years
‘I’m sure he’d know every player’s name … since I joined he has been showing unreal support, coming into the changing room, greeting everyone and showing everyone the utmost respect. Massive credit to him for taking his time to come and watch us and support us.’
The Prince of Wales had been vocal in his support of Emery’s side ahead of the final, taking to social media before the match to deliver a rallying cry: ‘Come on Villa! Good luck in tonight’s Europa League final. UTV! W’.
This followed his passionate showing at the semi-final, where he was seen enthusiastically punching the air as Villa dispatched Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest 4-0 to book their place in Wednesday night’s showpiece.
A die-hard Villa supporter since his school days, William once explained how he chose the club while studying in Berkshire, resisting the pull of more popular teams.
‘A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams,’ he told the BBC in 2015.
‘I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.’
William was born 26 days after Villa’s last European victory – when they lifted the European Cup after defeating Bayern Munich on May 26, 1982.
‘Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea (in the final),’ he said.
William said he chose to start supporting Villa while he was at school because he ‘wanted to have a team that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments’
William shared a pre-match message of support on his royal social media account
‘It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was with all the Brummie fans and had a great time.
‘It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.’
He has certainly witnessed a turbulent campaign, with Villa opening their Premier League season on a five-game winless streak that left them in the relegation zone.
Yet the narrative shifted dramatically before Christmas, as an 11-game winning run propelled them into the fringes of the title conversation.
While Emery was quick to temper expectations, Villa’s journey to Europa League victory this season stands as a clear testament to the resilience he has instilled in the side.
