Prince William was overcome with emotion as Aston Villa secured a historic Europa League victory, defeating German side Freiburg in Istanbul to claim their first major trophy in decades. The future king, a lifelong Villa supporter, was seen in the stands with tears of joy before joining the team for an exuberant dressing room celebration.
Dressing Room Revelry
Full-back Matty Cash revealed that William shared beers with the players after the match. "He deserves moments like these and hopefully he can let his hair down," Cash said. The Prince of Wales was later photographed alongside manager Unai Emery, who won his fifth Europa League title, both posing with the trophy.
Pre-Match Visit and Player Tribute
Captain John McGinn disclosed that William visited the dressing room before kick-off, describing him as a "classy guy" and a "massive Villa fan." McGinn joked on TNT Sports: "Hopefully he can have a couple of drinks with us and get his credit card out at the end of the night."
The royal also took to social media to congratulate the team, singling out injured midfielder Boubacar Kamara for his contributions. "Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team," William wrote.
Continued Festivities
The party extended beyond the dressing room, with Victor Lindelof's wife Maja sharing an image of William celebrating with players' families and friends, captioned "off the rails." The victory caps a stunning season for Villa, who have also secured a return to the Champions League.
Emery praised his players, stating: "All the times I am successful in this competition I needed good players. We are the kings together." Around 20,000 Villa fans traveled to Istanbul, with celebrations continuing into the night across the city.
