Prince William went through every emotion this week as he watched his beloved football team Aston Villa face SC Freiburg in the Europa League final.
The Prince of Wales, 43, was in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday to watch the game.
The future king was left over the moon, and even tearful, as Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 to bag the trophy. It’s the team’s first major trophy in 30 years and their first Europa League title since Prince William was born.
Prince William jumps for joy at Aston Villa game
The Prince of Wales is an avid Aston Villa fan. He’s attended many matches over the years, including some with his son Prince George, 12.
In videos shared to social media, William looked elated at the game. He was seen singing Sweet Caroline in the stands alongside friends.
He was also seen jumping in the air and wrapping his arms around his friends as Aston Villa scored.
At the end of the match, as Villa were crowned champions, William even looked tearful and appeared to wipe tears of joy from his eyes.
In another moment, William was seen filming Villa lifting the trophy. However, he appeared to decline an incoming call on his phone in order to capture the video.
The moment left fans amused with one person writing on X: “Has anyone figured out whose call Prince William declined while filming Aston Villa lifting the Europa League trophy? We need answers.”
Another said: “Royalty they’re just like us,” followed by a laughing face emoji.
A third laughed: “Villa fan first.. prince second.”
William issues statement on football win
Following the game, a statement was shared to the Prince and Princess of Wales’ X account.
It read: “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 W.”
That’s not royal composure anymore, that’s pure football emotion.
Royal fans loved seeing Prince William at the game, with many gushing over his relatable behaviour.
Alongside a video of William jumping in the air as Villa scored, one person said: “This is pure passion from the future king.”
Another quipped: “Seen enough. Make him king.”
A third added: “That’s not royal composure anymore, that’s pure football emotion. Future king, current superfan.”
How long has Prince William supported Aston Villa?
Prince William began following football in his school days. He also explained how he became a fan of Aston Villa.
He told the BBC in 2015: “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 Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run of the mill teams.
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“I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”
It’s believed his son has the same passion, and also supports Villa.
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