Aston Villa honored Gary Shaw and celebrated in style.
Prince William was among the Villa fans as the club returned to top-tier European competition after 41 years, winning 3-0 against Swiss club Young Boys on Tuesday. This came a day after the passing of Shaw, a forward who helped Villa win the European Cup in 1982.
“The last time @AVFCOfficial won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let’s hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure!” William posted on X just before the game.
“My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing yesterday.”
Villa’s players wore black armbands to remember Shaw, and coach Unai Emery dedicated the victory to him.
“Of course we want to dedicate this victory to Gary Shaw, his family and all of the Aston Villa family,” Emery said, adding that Villa aims to follow in the footsteps of Shaw and his teammates from 1982 “and achieve what that team accomplished.”
Shaw was just 21 and a rising star in English soccer when he won the European Cup, but his career was hurt by a serious knee injury a year later. He passed away on Monday at the age of 63.
The Birmingham club had not participated in Europe’s top competition since the 1982-83 season when they lost in the quarterfinals to Juventus in March 1983 while trying to defend the trophy they had won the previous season.
Emery was coaching in the Champions League for the first time since Villarreal’s semifinal loss to Liverpool in May 2022.
