Aston Villa v Club Brugge – UEFA Champions League – Round of 16 – Second Leg – Villa Park
William and friends celebrated Aston Villa's historic win on Wednesday night
The Prince of Wales revealed to media outlets that he'd "see you in Paris" after witnessing his beloved Aston Villa breeze into the Champions League quarter-finals.
From the Villa Park stands in Birmingham, Prince William observed his team dominate 3-0 in the Champions League's last 16 round. With this triumph, they will square off against French rivals Paris Saint-Germain in the upcoming round.
During the match, the prince was spotted celebrating Villa's goals, enthusiastically punching the air, and sharing the excitement with his childhood friend Thomas van Straubenzee - also a passionate Villa fan and the godfather of William's daughter, Princess Charlotte.
As he left the stadium, he quipped "see you in Paris" to journalists on his way to his car. This season marks Aston Villa's maiden voyage in the Champions League, with the team aspiring to secure their first major European championship since their European Cup triumph in 1982 – a notable coincidence, as this was also the year of William's birth.
The Prince of Wales celebrates Aston Villa’s second goal
Prince William was seen punching the air
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Image:
PA Wire/PA Images)
Earlier, TV footage showed William looking focused, donning a green jacket and club scarf amidst the chilly 2C evening in Birmingham. By the match's second half, Marco Asensio had secured two goals and Ian Maatsen added another, concluding the game with a decisive 6-1 aggregate score.
Just days earlier, William paid a visit to the team during their training session on Tuesday. The Prince watched intently before taking time to converse with team members Morgan Rogers and Matty Cash on the sidelines.
Images on Kensington Palace's social media showed William chatting with Rogers, giving Cash a hug and watching the squad from the side lines with Villa's president of football operations, Monchi, and Damian Vidagany, director of football operations.
The post read: "Great to pop in to see AVFCofficial yesterday ahead of tonight's Champions League game! Up the Villa!"