The Prince of Wales has met the hosts of an Aston Villa fan podcast after the club’s victory in the Europa League final, telling them he was a listener himself. Dan Rolinson and Mat Kendrick, who host the Claret & Blue Podcast, released a new episode on Thursday describing their meeting with William after the match in Istanbul on Wednesday evening.
The prince, patron of the Football Association and a passionate Villa supporter, celebrated as the Birmingham team beat Freiburg to win their first European trophy in 44 years. In the episode, filmed and posted on YouTube, Kendrick said he made eye contact with William while talking with fans after the game, before the prince summoned him and Rolinson for a chat. William called them by name, saying “Mat, Dan”.
The pair scrambled over seats to meet William in the directors’ box. Rolinson started recording as the prince and Kendrick shared a hug, with William saying “what an amazing night”. Asked how he was feeling, William replied: “Good, unbelievable. It’s slightly surreal.” Speaking of the game, he added: “I was expecting a rollercoaster, but it’s gone pretty smoothly, hasn’t it?”
When asked if he would appear on the podcast, William said: “Oh, I’ve been thinking about it.” Asked if he had ever seen it, he insisted: “Yeah, that’s why I know who you two are. I swear to God.” Rolinson described the encounter as “an unreal moment”. It was Aston Villa’s first major European final since 1982 and first silverware since 1996.
After the match, Kensington Palace published William’s message: “Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team.” A victory parade took place through Birmingham city centre on Thursday evening.
