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Prince William Shares Special Football Outing with Prince George at Aston Villa’s Champions League Clash
Prince William disclosed his desire for Prince George to experience a significant ‘European away night’ as they attended Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against PSG. The Prince of Wales was present at Parc des Princes in Paris for the highly anticipated match.
Royal Father and Son at Parc des Princes
The Prince of Wales joined TNT Sports analysts Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist ahead of the kickoff at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Prince William has been a consistent supporter of Aston Villa throughout their Champions League journey and accepted an invitation to the quarter-final first leg from PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
He confirmed Prince George’s attendance at the crucial game, explaining that the event would contribute to creating ‘special memories’ for his son.
‘Best Behaviour’ in Paris
Responding to Ferdinand’s query about whether it was a ‘lads’ trip’, Prince William affirmed he was on his ‘best behaviour’ in the French capital.
‘I’m not sure how many Villa supporters there will be, but they will certainly make their presence known,’ Prince William remarked.
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Creating Lasting Memories
‘I have my son here with me, so I am on my best behaviour. It’s been 43 years since Aston Villa reached this stage, and I want George to experience a night out at a major competition. These memories are truly important to create, and bringing him here is significant.’
‘I am open to who my children support. I am biased, but they come to games with Villa, so it will likely be Villa. However, I have left the other two at home, probably watching on television. We will see who they end up supporting.’
Confident Prediction for Aston Villa
Prince William, also the FA president, predicted that Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side would secure a 2-1 victory in the first leg, boosting their aspirations of reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
However, he admitted to feeling ‘pretty terrified’ facing the French champions, acknowledging PSG’s impressive performances throughout the Champions League campaign thus far.
‘It has been a long time coming, so this is a significant game – 43 years since this occurred. But I am confident and excited by the prospect,’ he told TNT Sports. ‘I am wearing all my lucky clothes and bits and pieces and have done all my pre-match routines.’
Tunnel Appearance and Rashford Greeting
Prince William was also observed in the tunnel before kick-off, where he exchanged a hug with Aston Villa and England forward Marcus Rashford as the players proceeded to the changing rooms following their warm-ups.
Prince William’s Aston Villa Allegiance
He previously explained the origin of his support for Aston Villa.
‘A long time ago at school, I became heavily interested in football,’ William once recounted, recalling his first visit to Villa Park in November 2013.
‘I was looking for a club to support, and all my friends at school were either Manchester United or Chelsea fans.’
‘I didn’t want to simply follow the most popular teams. I wanted to support a team that was more mid-table, that could provide more emotional rollercoaster moments.’
‘To be honest, looking back now, it might have been a bad decision! It could have been a lot easier!’
‘Aston Villa has always had a rich history. I have friends who support Aston Villa, and one of the first FA Cup matches I attended was Bolton versus Aston Villa in a semi-final.’
‘It was fantastic; I sat with all the fans wearing my red beanie. I was among the Birmingham fans and had a great time.’
‘It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie – I really felt a connection.’
Intensified Support During Downturn
Intriguingly, William’s interest in Aston Villa grew stronger when the club faced a period of decline.
‘I kept an eye on Villa from then on, but didn’t become too involved initially,’ he told the Sun. ‘But Villa being relegated to the Championship in 2016 made me even more interested, strangely.’
‘A few years earlier, we’d finished sixth under Martin O’Neill, and suddenly we weren’t even in the Premier League. I’m not entirely sure why I became more interested then, but it might have been due to the rise of smartphones.’
‘I’d grown up using teletext services or the sports pages in newspapers. If you didn’t have those readily available, you were somewhat out of touch.’
‘But now, you can access so much data and constantly follow your team’s progress. There’s also much more discussion and debate online. That’s how my passion truly intensified.’