World Cup winners to train at Newcastle University

Some of the best football teams in the world are to train at Newcastle University’s Cochrane Park.

World Cup holders Spain and Brazil – who have won the World Cup five times, more than any other nation - will be using the facilities while they compete in the Olympics this summer

Other men’s football teams using Cochrane Park, which usually plays host to University sport, are Mexico, Switzerland, South Korea, Gabon, Japan, Honduras, Morocco, and New Zealand.

Women’s teams who will train there are Canada, Sweden, France and Columbia.

Group B teams Mexico, Korea, Gabon and Switzerland, who are playing at St James’s Park on Thursday, 26 July, will be the first to try out the University’s turf. They are expected to start training onsite up to a week before the match.

The women’s teams are due to play at St James’ Park on 31 July.

Colin Blackburn, Director of Sport at Newcastle University said: “This is fabulous news. It will be an honour to welcome Brazil, arguably the world’s greatest footballing nation, excepting England of course, and Spain to train at our facilities. Newcastle is a city which is well-known for being football mad so it seems only right that two of the great soccer nations should train and play here. I can’t wait to see them and the other countries in action.”

published on: 27 April 2012