Prince William is excited about his soccer team's recent victory!
On May 14, the 41-year-old Prince of Wales congratulated his favorite soccer team, Aston Villa, on their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League in a personal message on social media.
“We are the Champions League!” Prince William wrote. X (Formerly Twitter). “A historic season and a great achievement. Thank you Unai, the entire team and everyone at @AVFCOfficial.”
“Can't wait for next season. #UTV!” Prince William and his wife, Duchess Kate, are known for signing their initials on messages sent directly from their shared account @KensingtonRoyal. He often posts about big news.
Aston Villa's historic feat comes after rivals Tottenham Hotspur were defeated by Manchester City on Tuesday night, securing fourth place in the Premier League. Villa last reached the club's top competition in the 1991-92 season.
“Today is a very special day,” Villa manager Unai Emery said, according to the team's official website. “It's our dream. It was our dream when we started the season to come here.”
“When you play in the Champions League, you're playing against the best teams from other countries at the same time. And it's amazing,” he continued. “…Next year begins a new challenge for us. We will build the team again, become stronger and constantly raise the level.”
Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images
Prince William often shows up to cheer on Aston Villa at soccer matches in the UK, and has declared that his favorite soccer team has been his favorite since his university days.
The Prince, who is president of the Football Association, last attended a match against Greek team Olympiakos in the first round of the Europa Conference League semi-finals on May 2 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. He had a spot in the plush box and there were plenty of animated reactions to the on-field action, including excited cheers and smiles.
Although the team ultimately lost the match, a source tells PEOPLE that Prince William's wife, Duchess Kate, and his father, King Charles, were encouraged by the Aston Villa game as they are undergoing treatment for cancer.
“He is very encouraged by Aston Villa's result,” the source said. “We must not lose sight of the importance of football at a time like this.”
Samir Hussain/WireImage
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to stay up to date on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and more!
The match on May 2 – which falls on Princess Charlotte's ninth birthday – will be the second time in recent weeks that Prince William will be cheering on Aston Villa from the stands. He and his 10-year-old son Prince George, who inherited his father's passion for the team, attended the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 quarter-final match against Villa against Lille OSC in Birmingham on April 11. .
Prince George adorably wore a scarf in his team's colors as he watched his team win 2-1.
The royal father then admitted his eldest son is following in his footsteps as a Villa fan.
As he left the stadium, Prince William was asked if Prince George had become “part of his pride”, a term Villa supporters use to describe their team's supporters.
According to the sports journalist, William replied: “Oh, yeah, he likes it.” neal moxley With X.
Katherine Ivill – AMA/Getty
