Prince William at the opening of the new Aston Villa training center
Britain's Prince William opened a new training center for his favorite football club, Aston Villa, as a guest of honor on Tuesday. The Duke of Cambridge wore a dark blue suit to the appointment in Bodymoor Heath near Birmingham and underneath a wine-red sweater and a light blue shirt – the traditional club colors of the Premier League club, which is currently in tenth place in the table.
William, who is also the President of the Football Association of England (FA), joked with staff and players at the training ground in the Midlands. The 38-year-old praised the club's regional commitment, which among other things is making its stadium available as a vaccination center. “I can't think of a cooler place than Villa Park for a vaccination,” said William, joking at Villa's local rivals: “Unless you're a fan of Birmingham City.”
William broke a lance for the video referee (VAR). “VAR does cause some heart attacks, but apart from that it's great,” said the football-loving heir to the throne.
He also revealed how he became an Aston Villa fan as a young boy. His schoolmates were all fans of Manchester United and Chelsea, so William, he had no desire. “I wanted a team that is more in the middle of the table and that gives me the feeling of an emotional roller coaster ride.”
