The Prince of Wales has met the hosts of an Aston Villa fan podcast after the club's victory in the Europa League final, as he told them he was a listener himself.
Meeting After the Match
Dan Rolinson and Mat Kendrick, who host the Claret & Blue Podcast, released a new episode on Thursday in which they described their meeting with William after the match in Istanbul on Wednesday evening. The prince, who is patron of the Football Association and a passionate Villa supporter, erupted into cheers and celebrated as the Birmingham team beat Freiburg to win a first European trophy in 44 years.
In the episode, which was also filmed and posted on YouTube, Kendrick said he made eye contact with William while talking with fans after the end of the game at Tupras Stadium, before the prince "summoned" him and Rolinson to "come here and have a chat". Kendrick added that the prince "called us by name", saying "Mat, Dan" as he asked them to come and meet him a few rows higher in the stands.
An Unreal Moment
The pair said they "scrambled over seats" to meet William in the directors' box, having to decline some chats with fans as Kendrick apologised and told them "this is our moment". Rolinson started recording a video as the prince and Kendrick shared a hug, with the prince saying "what an amazing night, uh, what an amazing night". Rolinson then asked William how he was feeling, to which he replied: "Good, unbelievable. It's slightly surreal, this whole thing."
Speaking of the game, the prince then told the pair: "I was expecting a rollercoaster, but, actually, it's gone pretty smoothly, hasn't it?" Asked when he would come on the podcast, William told the hosts: "Oh, I've been thinking about it." And asked whether he had ever seen it, the prince insisted: "Yeah, that's why I know who you two are. Exactly. I swear to God." He added: "I watch you lot and I know about this."
The prince then had a conversation about the game and Aston Villa with the two podcast hosts. Rolinson described the encounter as "an unreal moment" in the episode, after Kendrick said "it was fate".
Historic Victory
It was Aston Villa's first major European final since 1982 and first silverware since winning the League Cup in 1996. After the match on Wednesday night, Kensington Palace published the Prince of Wales's message to the team: "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!" The prince added: "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."
Midfielder Kamara has been absent since suffering a knee injury earlier this year. On Thursday afternoon, an X post from Kensington Palace on behalf of William said: "What a night. Thank you to Turkey for hosting a great final. Incredible atmosphere and great sportsmanship from Freiburg. Enjoy the parade, Birmingham." A victory parade featuring three buses was taking place through Birmingham city centre on Thursday evening.
