The Prince of Wales shared a secret message with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola yesterday, after his side beat Chelsea to lift the FA Cup.
Prince William, celebrating his 20th anniversary as President of the Football Association (FA), watched on as City clinched their second title of the campaign.
What had been a relatively subdued match exploded into life when January signing Antoine Semenyo produced an astonishing flick from Erling Haaland’s delivery to find the bottom corner and put City ahead.
Chelsea came away with their heads held high, dominating the ball for much of the game but failing to meaningfully test Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, registering just one shot on goal.
Referee Darren England waved away multiple penalty shouts from the Blues, with both Joao Pedro and Jorrel Hato hitting the deck. Neither was seen as a clear error.
But ultimately, it was Guardiola’s juggernaut that cantered to yet another victory, winning his 21st trophy in Manchester and his third FA Cup.
As his side triumphantly walked the infamous Wembley steps to receive the trophy, the Spaniard was handed his winners’ medal by the prince, who had some choice words of admiration for the iconic manager.
The Prince of Wales shared a secret message with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola yesterday
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REUTERS
“Another one, hey”, William quipped as he put the medal around Guardiola’s neck, adding: “Congratulations Pep, well done.”
Similarly, His Royal Highness congratulated John Stones, who is leaving this summer, although he did not play any part in yesterday’s victory, on “another one”.
William then handed the trophy over to departing legends Stones and Bernardo Silva in a heartwarming moment as the pair shared the trophy lift in front of the 30,000 Manchester City fans at Wembley.
As his side triumphantly walked the Wembley steps to receive the trophy, Pep Guardiola was handed his winners’ medal by the prince
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GETTY
William then handed the trophy over to departing legends John Stones and Bernardo Silva
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GETTY
Before picking up the trophy, Silva, who will leave the Cityzens after nine years of service and 19 trophies, told the BBC: “It’s really nice to finish this way.
“Hopefully, we can still have a small dream that we can still fight for the Premier League, we’re going to try against Bournemouth to keep those hopes alive.”
The Prince of Wales this week celebrated 20 years since he started in his role as President of the FA, when he took over from his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who himself had held the role for five years.
To commemorate his anniversary, the prince visited England boss Thomas Tuchel and his backroom staff at St George’s Park to meet the “team behind the team” supporting England’s World Cup campaign.
William met coaches, analysts and medical teams as he saw how Mr Tuchel shaped his tactics and looked after players ahead of the major tournament.
He was then presented with an England shirt with the number 20 on the back, commemorating his 20 years of dedication to the institution.