Prince of Wales cannot wait to see Aston Villa in Champions League

Aston Villa will play Champions League football next season after Tottenham’s defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday ended their challenge for fourth place in the Premier League.

Villa missed out on this season’s Europa Conference League final after a 6-2 aggregate loss to Olympiacos in their semi-final, but will have the chance to mix it at Europe’s top table next term.

Unai Emery and his squad had gathered for Villa’s end-of-season awards as the Spurs-City game was going on and as the final whistle blew, goalkeeper Emi Martinez led the champagne celebrations.

Captain John McGinn said in a video posted on the club’s X account: “We were in the Championship – us two (himself and Tyrone Mings), baby Jacob (Ramsey) and Kortney (Hause), there’s four of us here tonight who were part of that Championship journey.

“We got promoted, we got into the Premier League, we were seven points behind with four to play, we managed to stay in the league.

“We kept building and we’ve achieved something that we haven’t done for 40 years so on behalf of the players and staff, we’re over the moon.”

Famous fan the Prince of Wales celebrated Villa’s achievement.

Posting on the Kensington Royal X account he shares with his wife Katherine, William wrote: “We are Champions League! A historic season and an amazing achievement. Thanks to Unai, the whole squad and everyone at @AVFCOfficial. Can’t wait for next season. #UTV! W”

It will be Villa’s first time in the Champions League since the competition was rebranded in 1992, having last appeared in the European Cup in the 1982-83 season.

They were crowned champions of Europe the previous season after Peter Withe scored the only goal in the final against Bayern Munich in Rotterdam, one of seven English clubs to win the competition.