England's base for the World Cup is surrounded by concrete barriers, armed police, and other security measures to ensure the team's safety during their stay in Kansas City. The squad is currently training in Florida to acclimatise to the heat, having already played two warm-up games in the Sunshine State.
Hotel Security Measures
Over the weekend, the team will move to The Inn at Meadowbrook in Kansas City, their official base for the tournament. The hotel will be closed to the public for the duration of the World Cup, and concrete barriers have been placed around the building to prevent rogue vehicles from gaining access. These barriers are described as 'anti-terrorism barriers' and are capable of stopping car-ramming attacks.
Armed police have been stationed around the hotel, and 'no entry' signs have been put up. A series of black screens have also been erected around the complex, which is overlooked by an apartment facility, to allow players to relax away from prying eyes. England will have exclusive use of the hotel during the World Cup, with regular staff effectively furloughed.
Additional Protective Measures
A no-fly zone for drones is in place over the area for the duration of the tournament. The built-in cafe, popular with locals, has been entirely closed off until the day of the World Cup final. Two temporary marquees have been installed at the property, believed to house additional facilities including an extended gym.
England's training sessions will take place at the nearby Swope Soccer Village, and the squad is expected to be given an armed escort for the 20-minute journey. Ahead of the World Cup, the Football Association (FA) had requested a larger ring of steel, which was turned down by local police. However, the other protective measures suggest little is being left to chance.
Why Kansas City?
England chose to stay in Kansas City despite playing their group stage matches in Dallas, New York, and Boston. The city is located in the middle of the country, meaning the Three Lions should not face any flights longer than four hours.
Thomas Tuchel recently said that he hoped England would be able to create a home away from home, adding: "To have a bed that you’re used to sleep in, to have a bed with a good mattress, to have a hotel with privacy. A small hotel, not a 400, 500, 800‑bed hotel where we see each other maybe just in the elevators or on the floor between breakfast and meeting room; the air conditioning is on and you cannot open the windows. There are a lot of these hotels in America. We chose a hotel where you can open the window, where it’s an intimate and small place. Once we get used to that place, it makes sense to go back. Maybe the headline is: we try to be as often in Kansas as possible."
He added: "I have feedback from the players that they like we start late, that they like that it then becomes condensed so you have no chance to get bored once you go through the tournament. Hopefully the longer we will get, the more demanding it will become. It will become very condensed. There will be a lot of flights. There will be a lot of time at airports. There will be a lot of time together. We have to get our chemistry right. This is the most important."
