PARIS (AP) — Heir to the throne and die-hard Aston Villa supporter Prince William was in the crowd once again to watch his beloved team play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The future king of England was clearly fully immersed in the first-leg game in Paris — even before it started.
He hugged some of Villa's players — including Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford — as they came out of their locker room and he even spoke pre-game with match broadcaster TNT’s presenters.
William — arguably Villa’s most famous fan — was in the crowd for Villa’s victory over Bayern Munich earlier in the competition and away to Monaco in January.
Television images from broadcaster Canal Plus showed him thrusting both hands in the air Wednesday, and then punching the air with his right fist, after midfielder Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute.
The score was 1-1 at halftime but PSG went on to win 3-1.
William’s eldest son, Prince George, was also at the game.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Britain's Prince George, with his father Prince William, attends the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Britain's Prince William with his son on the stages during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Britain's Prince William with his son on the stages during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Host Italy has a new contender in Alpine skiing with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics three weeks away.
Giovanni Franzoni claimed his first World Cup victory on the famed Lauberhorn course in a super-G Friday — four months after his close friend and former roommate, Matteo Franzoso, died in a crash during preseason training in Chile.
The 24-year-old Franzoni — a former world junior champion in super-G, downhill and Alpine combined — was the first racer on course and took advantage of the No. 1 bib to deliver a near-perfect run.
Reaching a top speed of 140.44 kph (87 mph), Franzoni finished 0.35 seconds ahead of Stefan Babinsky of Austria and 0.37 ahead of downhill world champion Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland.
Franzoni handled the tricky Canadian Corner and Kernen S sections on the upper portion of the course cleaner than anyone else.
“I made the difference on the turn where I crashed a few years ago,” he said, referring to his season-ending fall in a super-G in 2023 that resulted in thigh surgery.
Swiss overall World Cup leader Marco Odermatt, a four-time winner in Wengen, placed fourth, 0.53 behind.
The top American was Ryan Cochran-Siegle in sixth.
Franzoni also led both downhill training sessions and could be a contender in the classic downhill on Saturday. His previous best World Cup finish was third in a super-G on home snow in Val Gardena last month.
Now Franzoni will be among the leaders for Italy’s team in Bormio, where men’s Alpine skiing will be contested during the Olympics.
“If you had told me that I would be third in Val Gardena and then win here — on the two courses that I've had the most trouble on — I wouldn't have believed it,” Franzoni said.
The opening ceremony for the Games is scheduled for Feb. 6.
“I don't know about the future, but the present has changed," Franzoni said. "We always live day by day.”
Marco Schwarz, the Austrian who won the previous super-G in Livigno, Italy, last month, missed the race due to sickness.
Also sitting out this weekend is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the Norwegian standout who returned this season after a horrific crash in Wengen two years ago.
“This year," Kilde said on Instagram this week, "it’s just a little too early.”
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Giovanni Franzoni of Italy takes a jump during the alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)
Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)
Austria's Stefan Babinsky speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Italy's Giovanni Franzoni reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)
Italy's Giovanni Franzoni speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
