Prince George was at Aston Villa’s biggest European match for 42 years because the Prince of Wales wanted his son to experience a Champions League “night out away from home”.
Prince William’s eldest son joined his father for the first leg of Villa’s quarter-final against Paris Saint-German, with the club’s most famous fan saying that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were “probably watching” the game from home.
Prince George was last seen at one of Villa’s European matches a year ago when they beat Lille on penalties in the quarter-finals of last season’s Europa Conference League.
Wednesday’s match was Villa’s biggest since they lost to Juventus in the European Cup quarter-final in 1983, a year after they were crowned champions of Europe for the only time.
Explaining why he had brought his son to the PSG game, Prince William told TNT Sports: “I thought, ‘It’s been 43 years since anything like this has happened in my generation as a Villa fan and I want George to experience a night out away from home in a big European competition. I hope it’s not 43 years the next time it happens!
“But I think those memories are really important to create and bringing him along tonight is a big deal for me.”
He added: “I’ve left the other two at home probably watching tonight, so we’ll wait and see who they support.”
Prince William, who was seen hugging Villa’s players in the Parc de Princes tunnel before kick-off, also said: “I’m pretty terrified. It’s been a while coming, this, so it’s a big game. Forty-three years since the last time this happened, a big European night for Villa. I’m nervous but I’m confident but also excited by the whole prospect.”
He added: “I’m wearing all my lucky clothes and bits and pieces and done all my routines, so I’m hoping that it’s going to bring some luck tonight.”
Speaking to pundits Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist, the prince showed an astute knowledge of Villa’s opponents, who beat Liverpool on penalties in the previous round, and how Unai Emery’s side could nullify them.
He said: “We all saw the Liverpool game and PSG’s intensity. In the first leg, they were unbelievable. They gave a lot of pressure. They pressed very high. And, so, I think for Unai and the team, it’s about managing that press. Unai likes it when teams come on to them and play quite a high press. Obviously, there’s a limit. Can we get round the press? Can we beat it? So, I’m thinking long ball a little bit.”
He added: “Not having [Kylian] Mbappe there, the PSG guys have talked about that quite a bit, I think, in the media around not having the superstars maybe makes it a bit more gelled.
“The way they play, they’re a young team, and I’ve been really impressed watching how they played against Liverpool.
“Vitinha, in midfield, I’ve been really impressed by. Bearing in mind he was at Wolves two, three years ago maybe and he couldn’t hardly get a game. And now look at him.”
The prince’s knowledge of his own team was even more impressive.
“I speak for most Villa fans in saying we’re so thrilled and really lucky to have a manager of Unai’s quality,” he said. “As a person, he’s an absolute gentleman, a lovely guy. Runs the club and looks after players in a way that you’d want your players and team to be looked after. He’s an absolute tactician.
“I try when I get the odd chance to talk to him to take some nuggets of information from him. But he’s very guarded in what he says and how he does stuff. But I’ll give you an example. I went out and watched training once – and I’ve seen a few managers come and go through the Villa system and obviously through the England system – what Unai was doing, he was moving players about a centimetre left and right.
“I thought, ‘That’s a man who cares about the little details’, and it rubs off on the players.”
The prince, who predicted a 2-1 Villa win, was applauded for his insights by former England defender Ferdinand, who said: “Do not go for a punditry job please, because I could be out of the game. The way he just dissected that there, I’m going to nick that for later on.”
Prince George was at Aston Villa’s biggest European match for 42 years because the Prince of Wales wanted his son to experience a Champions League “night out away from home”.
Prince William’s eldest son joined his father for the first leg of Villa’s quarter-final against Paris Saint-German, with the club’s most famous fan saying that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were “probably watching” the game from home.
Prince George was last seen at one of Villa’s European matches a year ago when they beat Lille on penalties in the quarter-finals of last season’s Europa Conference League.
Wednesday’s match was Villa’s biggest since they lost to Juventus in the European Cup quarter-final in 1983, a year after they were crowned champions of Europe for the only time.
Explaining why he had brought his son to the PSG game, Prince William told TNT Sports: “I thought, ‘It’s been 43 years since anything like this has happened in my generation as a Villa fan and I want George to experience a night out away from home in a big European competition. I hope it’s not 43 years the next time it happens!
“But I think those memories are really important to create and bringing him along tonight is a big deal for me.”
He added: “I’ve left the other two at home probably watching tonight, so we’ll wait and see who they support.”
Prince William, who was seen hugging Villa’s players in the Parc de Princes tunnel before kick-off, also said: “I’m pretty terrified. It’s been a while coming, this, so it’s a big game. Forty-three years since the last time this happened, a big European night for Villa. I’m nervous but I’m confident but also excited by the whole prospect.”
He added: “I’m wearing all my lucky clothes and bits and pieces and done all my routines, so I’m hoping that it’s going to bring some luck tonight.”
Speaking to pundits Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist, the prince showed an astute knowledge of Villa’s opponents, who beat Liverpool on penalties in the previous round, and how Unai Emery’s side could nullify them.
He said: “We all saw the Liverpool game and PSG’s intensity. In the first leg, they were unbelievable. They gave a lot of pressure. They pressed very high. And, so, I think for Unai and the team, it’s about managing that press. Unai likes it when teams come on to them and play quite a high press. Obviously, there’s a limit. Can we get round the press? Can we beat it? So, I’m thinking long ball a little bit.”
He added: “Not having [Kylian] Mbappe there, the PSG guys have talked about that quite a bit, I think, in the media around not having the superstars maybe makes it a bit more gelled.
“The way they play, they’re a young team, and I’ve been really impressed watching how they played against Liverpool.
“Vitinha, in midfield, I’ve been really impressed by. Bearing in mind he was at Wolves two, three years ago maybe and he couldn’t hardly get a game. And now look at him.”
The prince’s knowledge of his own team was even more impressive.
“I speak for most Villa fans in saying we’re so thrilled and really lucky to have a manager of Unai’s quality,” he said. “As a person, he’s an absolute gentleman, a lovely guy. Runs the club and looks after players in a way that you’d want your players and team to be looked after. He’s an absolute tactician.
“I try when I get the odd chance to talk to him to take some nuggets of information from him. But he’s very guarded in what he says and how he does stuff. But I’ll give you an example. I went out and watched training once – and I’ve seen a few managers come and go through the Villa system and obviously through the England system – what Unai was doing, he was moving players about a centimetre left and right.
“I thought, ‘That’s a man who cares about the little details’, and it rubs off on the players.”
The prince, who predicted a 2-1 Villa win, was applauded for his insights by former England defender Ferdinand, who said: “Do not go for a punditry job please, because I could be out of the game. The way he just dissected that there, I’m going to nick that for later on.”
