Prince William and his son Prince George watched Aston Villa’s 3-0 defeat by Barcelona in a Champions League match on Tuesday evening. They viewed the game from the VIP box at Camp Nou stadium, where they supported William’s favourite club.
William is a well-known long-time Aston Villa fan and regularly attends the club’s matches, both in England and on European away days. Last week, he was in Istanbul, where Villa beat Fenerbahçe by a wide 6-0 margin. Last season, he followed the club to Paris and to the Europa League final in Istanbul at the Beşiktaş Stadium, and he is a regular guest at home games at Villa Park.
The match started poorly for Unai Emery’s side. In the seventh minute, Lamine Yamal capitalised on an Aston Villa defensive error to give Barcelona the lead. In the second half, Raphinha, a former Leeds United player, sealed the home victory with two goals to make the final score 3-0. This defeat ended Aston Villa’s winning run in the Champions League group stage, after the English club had recorded victories in the first two rounds of the competition.
Before the match, FC Barcelona welcomed the royal guests on the social media platform X. They stated that they were honoured to host His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and His Royal Highness Prince George at Spotify Camp Nou.
In a 2015 interview with the BBC, Prince William explained why he had chosen the Midlands club. He said he was attracted by the possibility of supporting a team that did not always win and which could provide him with uncertainty. He stated that he had become seriously interested in football while at school and was looking for a team to support. He highlighted that all his friends were fans of Manchester United or Chelsea, and he did not want to be like everyone else. He wanted a mid-table team that would give him more emotional ups and downs.
He recalled that one of the first FA Cup matches he attended was Bolton versus Villa in 2000. He stated that Villa later lost to Chelsea in the final. He described it as fantastic, saying he sat among the fans wearing a red cap, surrounded by people from Birmingham, and had a great time. He said he was won over by the atmosphere and sense of community, and felt it was a club with which he could identify.
