Prince William joins Villa's historic Europa League win celebration
Prince William was among the supporters celebrating in Istanbul as Aston Villa secured the Europa League title, ending a 30-year wait for a trophy by defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the final held at Besiktas Park.
The Prince of Wales displayed a wide range of emotions throughout the match as Villa claimed their first European trophy since 1982.
Captain John McGinn revealed that Prince William was present in the Villa dressing room before the game, while defender Matty Cash noted that the prince joined the team for drinks after the victory.
"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!" Prince William wrote on social media.
"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."
Cash added,
"He was in there having a beer with us. He's just delighted. He's such a big supporter.
"He's always coming to the training ground, always at Villa Park. And he deserves moments like these and hopefully he can let his hair down today."
With an estimated 20,000 fans in attendance, the Turkish city was transformed into 'Astonbul' as Villa secured their first Europa League title with goals from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia, and Morgan Rogers.
Before the match, Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks shared a message of support for Villa. In an eight-second clip sent to BBC Radio WM, the Hollywood star and Villa fan said,
"This is Tom Hanks in the United States of America, thinking one thing and one thing only - go Villa."
The victory sparked celebrations that are expected to continue with a parade in Birmingham scheduled for Thursday.
Prince William was seen enjoying the moment before kick-off, soaking in the atmosphere.
As the match progressed, nerves settled in when Villa initially struggled to find a breakthrough.
Relief was evident for Prince William as Villa opened the scoring.
Further delight followed as Villa doubled their lead just before half-time.
Prince William celebrated again when Villa secured a 3-0 lead.
Why is Prince William a Villa fan?
A regular visitor to Villa Park, Prince William was spotted celebrating in the crowd as Villa defeated Nottingham Forest earlier in the month to secure their place in the Europa League final.
It was fitting that the prince traveled to Turkey to witness this historic moment for the club.
Television cameras captured the prince absorbing the pre-match atmosphere and celebrating alongside those nearby as Villa took control of the trophy.
He also documented the moment when McGinn lifted the trophy above his head.
McGinn described Prince William as "just a normal guy" following the win.
"He's a classy man, he was in the dressing room before the game.
"He's a massive Villa fan, he was never going to miss it. He's just a normal guy, it's great to have his support and hopefully it 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."
The prince began supporting Villa during his school years in Berkshire, choosing a team outside the mainstream to avoid following the crowd.
"A long time ago at school, I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Manchester 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 European Cup final victory against Bayern Munich on 26 May 1982.
He has previously spoken about the enjoyment he derives from following a club with the ups and downs that Villa have experienced.
"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 added.
"It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with."
Birmingham stands still as Villa fans celebrate
Since Villa last won a European trophy in 1982, other English clubs including Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester City have claimed continental titles.
Fans unable to attend the final filled Birmingham's Utilita Arena and local pubs across the Midlands to watch the match.
The occasion has become a significant celebration for Villa supporters, who shared their sentiments:
Nick: "I listened to the final in 82 on the radio at age 12. Who would have thought 44 years later I'd be watching on telly with my two sons and my 84 year old dad (with dementia)? Special football moments x"
Sharon: "Lost my dad last October who was a lifetime Villa fan - he would be so proud - I'm crying with happiness at this performance- what a team."
James: "My dad passed away in 2023, he was Villa through and through - I'm sat here tonight in his old shirt wishing he could see this! Best Villa team in the last 30 years!!! UTV"
Jon: "I remember hearing about Villa winning the League Cup when I was four and being gutted I didn't get to watch it. Thirty years later I finally get to watch them lift a trophy. Hopefully my three-year-old doesn't have to wait so long!"
Explosions of confetti in Birmingham marked the moment as Aston Villa won their first trophy since lifting the League Cup in 1996.
