'I think Paris has experienced us!' - Villa fans soak up Champions League atmosphere
Villa supporters have been soaking up the sun and the beer suds in Paris ahead of Wednesday’s huge Champions League clash.
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Thousands of football fans have travelled to the French capital by rail, road and sea to roar on their heroes when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
The match is the biggest involving a club from the West Midlands since Villa last reached the last-eight of the European Cup in 1983.
And Aston Villa supporters have made the most of it, congregating in the city's bars and boulevards ahead of kick-off.
The Frog pub, a short stroll from the Eiffel Tower, was forced to close its doors in mid-afternoon after fans drank the bar dry.
One of those at the pub, 26-year-old George Ing, said: “I think Paris has experienced us, rather than us experience Paris!
“My sister lives here so I have been here for a few days so as soon as the draw was made I was happy.
“We have tried our best to do a bit of culture. But we’ve also spent a fair bit of time in the pub as well!”
George’s pal Miles Bell added: “When else do you get the excuse to drink on a Wednesday afternoon in Paris?
“We’ve had some great trips this year and last in Europe but this is just on a different level.
“The sun is definitely making us optimistic for the match.”
Villa’s progress in the Champions League has continued their remarkable transformation under manager Unai Emery.
The match with PSG comes just six years after Villa were playing in the Championship.
George Smyly, who travelled to Paris from his home near Oxford, said: “I would never have dreamed this was possible.
“I went to Wigan in 2019 when we lost 3-0 in the Championship and I thought we would be in that division forever.
“Six years later we are drinking in a bar in Paris by the Eiffel Tower ahead of a Champions League match.
“Whatever happens in the match it is an occasion we could never have imagined.”
Kyle Roden, 38, was in Paris with his young son Coby. The pair were among a group of fans who travelled by coach Kingswinford.
Kyle said: “The coach is picking us up after the game and we should be back home late Thursday morning.
“We don’t have tickets. We are going to watch the match in the town. There are a lot of fans here doing the same. This is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I keep thinking back to pre-Covid when we were beaten 4-0 at Leicester and everyone thought we were going down.
“Now we’ve got Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio playing for us. How did that happen?
“I keep telling Coby how lucky he is to experience this.”
