Prince William has been pictured in the stands looking tense as he watches his beloved Aston Villa in action during a blockbuster Champions League clash.
The Prince of Wales is among more than 40,000 fans at Villa Park in Birmingham watching the match against German giants Bayern Munich – Villa’s first home game in European soccer’s elite competition for 41 years.
Before the game William, who is patron of the English Football Association, met members of Villa’s 1982 European Cup winning team.
“42 years on, our 1982 European Cup winning legends are here on an historic night,” he wrote on X. “Ready for the first game on home turf in this year’s European adventure.”
William, who serves as the patron of the English Football Association, was spotted in an executive box at Villa Park.
He dressed casually in a dark blue button-up coat over a maroon sweater and a blue shirt.
William was even seen cheering along with the home fans when Pau Torres seemed to have given Aston Villa a 23rd-minute lead, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out for offside.
Aston Villa’s social media team also shared a photo of William with the 1982 European Cup-winning squad, captioning it: “Royalty meets Aston Villa royalty.”
Many people took to social media to react to the news , with one person saying: “It’s another beautiful night for Villa. Let’s go and be great.”
William’s connection to Aston Villa goes back to his childhood, when he chose to support the club during their quest for European glory.
Now, after decades of waiting, he is witnessing Villa compete in Europe’s elite competition, as they take on Bayern Munich following a successful 3-0 win over Young Boys in their previous match.
Before the match at Villa Park, William presented OBEs to sports figures, including Ally McCoist and Karen Carney, at Windsor Castle.
He then made his way to Birmingham to watch Aston Villa’s important clash against Bayern.