On Wednesday, Prince William attended the Champions League quarterfinals between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) with his son, Prince George.
The Prince of Wales is a well-known Aston Villa fan, and he couldn’t resist going to the aptly named Parc des Princes to see his team play in its first European quarterfinal in 43 years.
Before the match, William told TNT Sports that he was wearing “lucky clothes” and expected a 2-1 victory for his beloved club.
The 42-year-old heir to the British throne also pleased with his brief analysis of Villa’s tactics, exhibiting a true interest in the game.
Despite being under immediate pressure in the French city, Villa took the lead in the 35th minute when teenage star Morgan Rogers concluded a swift counterattack.
William joined thousands of Villa fans in excitedly celebrating the goal from the stands, hugging George as they became engrossed in the moment.
Only four minutes later, PSG equalized with a beautiful strike from 19-year-old Désiré Doué, who was brilliant throughout the game.
PSG, which was named French champion over the weekend, then began to dominate and grabbed complete control of the tie when winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored a stunning goal in the 49th minute, followed by Nuno Mendes’ third in the dying moments.
While the outcome was not what William had hoped for, he stated prior to the match that simply taking his son to such a spectacular soccer game was a “big deal” for him.
“Well, I’ve got my son here as well, so I’m on best behaviour,” he joked to TNT Sports.
“But I thought, you know what, it’s been 43 years since something like this happened in my generation as a Villa supporter, and I want George to have a night out away from home in a major European competition.
“I hope it’s not 43 years until the next one happens, but I think those memories are really important to create and bringing him along tonight is a big deal for me.”
William was seen earlier that night hugging the Aston Villa players as they headed out of the dressing room to warm up.
When asked if he had persuaded his children to support Villa, William quipped that he would let them decide but acknowledged to being little biased.
“They attend games with Villa. They’re probably going to favor Villa, but I’ve left the other two at home to watch tonight, so we’ll see who they support,” he said.
This is not the first time William has been observed watching soccer with his son George. The two have been spotted together watching Aston Villa in the English Premier League and supporting the England national team at Wembley Stadium.
