England manager Thomas Tuchel has scrapped a rule imposed by Gareth Southgate by allowing the wives and girlfriends of his players into their World Cup training base. The decision is a vast departure from how England camps under his predecessor would operate and comes as the competition gets underway on Thursday, June 11.
New Policy on Partners
Tuchel has allowed players' significant others into the England squad's hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida, despite an initial ban on partners joining their players. Jude Bellingham's girlfriend Ashlyn Castro is believed to have been driven four hours to Tampa for England's warm-up game against New Zealand last week. Harry Kane's wife Kate and Kobbie Mainoo's partner Layla Roye are also believed to have visited the hotel before the players relocate to Kansas City for the tournament itself.
Previously, it was thought only players and staff were allowed in, but Tuchel appears to have relaxed the rule. A source said via The Sun: "It's very unusual for them to spend so much time with the footballers before the World Cup. But Tuchel wants his pre-tournament camp relaxed before heading to Kansas."
Time Off and Family Time
Tuchel has also planned to give the team some time off following their second warm-up game against Costa Rica on Wednesday, which England won 3-0. It's believed the German wants to give his players further time with their partners, friends and family before the competition gets underway.
Historical Context
Partners of England's footballers were reportedly staying on board a luxury cruise liner throughout the Qatar World Cup in 2022. Southgate was also believed to have banned players' other halves from starring in a fly-on-the-wall World Cup documentary. The former Three Lions manager was also said to hold disdain for the term 'WAG', believing it was disrespectful. However, he did allow the partners of his players to join them at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha following England's 6-2 victory over Iran in the opening game of the 2022 tournament.
For the 2024 European Championships in Germany, Southgate allowed players' partners into England's training base after every group fixture.
Player Reaction
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has welcomed Tuchel's reversal. He said: "The tournament for us doesn't start until June 17. So, I think this is going to be train hard, get used to the climate, have a bit of freedom, bit of downtime."
Cultural Obsession
The whereabouts of players' wives and girlfriends during major tournaments has been a source of obsession for the nation in recent history. Controversially, they have even been blamed by sections of fans and pundits for some of the Three Lions' defeats over the years, due to their presence at tournaments. The 2006 World Cup in Germany was infamous for a horde of wives and girlfriends descending on the quiet town of Baden-Baden, as the likes of Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney attracted more attention than their partners did on the pitch.
