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England has unveiled a new national training center, the completion of a project almost forty years in the making. However, the grand reveal was upstaged by the controversy surrounding Ashley Cole and recent tweets he made over his role in the John Terry/Anton Ferdinand racism row.
The new 105-million pound facility was given the royal treatment at the unveiling. It’s origins began 37 years ago, but has been delayed repeatedly over the years. The facility is modeled after similar set-ups in France and Spain, nations who won a World Cup within a decade of creating their own national training bases. England’s last major championship came more than 45 years ago at the 1966 World Cup. But after the ceremony the focus shifted to a current member of England’s National team -- Ashley Cole. The England defender reacted angrily on Twitter after a commission set up by the F.A. questioned Cole’s statements in defending John Terry in his recent racism case. He has been charged with misconduct by the FA and is set to be fined.
David Bernstein, English FA Chairman, said,"Ashley having done his tweet and withdrawn it immediately and apologised publicly, he asked to see me last night and apologised to me personally and to the FA through me, if you like. I believed he was contrite. It was a serious apology. He expressed a degree of remorse for what he had done, wished it hadn’t happened. I looked him in the eye and really felt that he meant it."
Roy Hodgson, Manager of English National Football Team, said,"We are talking about a man who has played 98 times, who has hardly missed a game for England when he has been fit. He has been regarded for many, many years as one of the best if not the best left backs in the world and no one who is fair minded I think could ever criticise Ashley’s commitment to England, his commitment to the England shirt of course and as a result, his contrition."
中国公共新闻摘编：GAN JADE |
