Baden-Baden Revisited: When WAGs and Journalists Converged at the 2006 World Cup
As the countdown to this summer's World Cup intensifies, a new series delves into the untold stories behind recent tournaments, from 2002 to 2022. The second installment revisits the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where a peculiar collision between England's Wives and Girlfriends (WAGs) and a group of journalists created a surreal backdrop to another national heartbreak.
The Unplanned Convergence in a German Spa Town
Andy Dunn recalls the moment a Football Association representative looked aghast as journalists checked into the Brenners Park Hotel and Spa in Baden-Baden. Unbeknownst to them, the same hotel was hosting the wives, girlfriends, and families of the England squad. According to its brochure, Brenners Park is "where nature, culture and wellbeing converge." For three weeks in early summer 2006, it became where Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole, and a legion of reporters converged instead.
Initially, there were suggestions that the journalists find alternative accommodation. That idea was laughed out of town, and they settled into life alongside the WAGs. To describe it as surreal would be an understatement. Venturing out for a coffee in the genteel retirement town meant navigating hordes of paparazzi, always on the hunt for Cheryl, Victoria, Coleen McLoughlin (now Rooney), Carly Zucker, Alex Curran, Elen Rivas, and others.
Life Inside the WAG Hotel
Inside the hotel, journalists and players' families learned to coexist, even enjoying each other's company. Neville Neville, father of Gary and Phil, proved great fun, though Gary was less amused when his dad was photographed in high spirits at Garibaldi, an Italian restaurant that became the unofficial social hub. The players and management, led by Sven-Goran Eriksson, were based 30 minutes away at the Schlosshotel Buhlerhohe in the Black Forest. They occasionally visited the circus that Baden-Baden had become, often looking nonplussed.
Gary Neville later reflected, "Elite sports teams should have no distraction. It was a World Cup. We had distractions like you would not believe. It was just a nonsense." To an extent, he was right. The distractions extended beyond the WAG society. Wayne Rooney, who had broken three metatarsals before the tournament, returned from a scan declaring, "The big man is back." Alas, he was sent off in the quarter-final against Portugal, which England lost on penalties after a goalless draw.
The Garibaldi's Incident and WAG Central
By Andy Lines: Garibaldi's bar became known as WAGs Central, hosting not just WAGs like Alex Curran, Elen Rivas, Lisa Roughead, and Carly Zucker, but also Ashley Cole's mum, Neville Neville, Eriksson's sons, David Beckham's sister, and much of Jamie Carragher's family. It was chaotic, carnage, and, for the most part, great fun.
On most nights when England weren't playing, Garibaldi's was the place to be. The press pack occupied the right side, drinking beer, while the WAGs sipped champagne on the left. One memorable night, a WAG unreasonably complained about Lines, leading to security escorting him out as the England families chanted "Cheerio." However, the bar owner, Carmine Tortora, intervened, having befriended Lines earlier. As he was walked back in, the press pack cheered, "He's coming home."
The End of an Era and a Footballing Error
England's campaign was unconvincing throughout, with attention focused on Cristiano Ronaldo's wink after Rooney's red card. Rooney had also suffered a minor groin tear, adding to the disappointment as David Beckham tearfully relinquished the captaincy after the quarter-final exit. With Steve McClaren set to take over, Baden-Baden felt like the end of an era—or, as Dunn notes, the end of an error.
While the WAG phenomenon wasn't solely to blame for England's exit, it was a notable distraction. The 2006 campaign became more famous for the antics of Victoria, Coleen, Cheryl, Carly, and Alex than for their partners' performances. As Neville said, it was a nonsense. After England's elimination, a weeping German barman from Garibaldi's captured the mood, lamenting, "The best three weeks of my life are over. Nothing like this will happen again."
