EXCLUSIVE Has Gareth Southgate's WAG clampdown been an own goal? Insiders say limiting partners' contact with players is creating a 'cool atmosphere' because they 'haven't had chance to bond' as they fly in for rest-day reunions on separate private jets By Vivek Chaudhary and Shekhar Bhatia Published: 17:12, 3 July 2024 | Updated: 19:53, 3 July 2024 e-mail 26 View comments Gareth Southgate 's decision to keep his England players' WAGs away from the tournament to avoid them becoming a distraction may have led to a cool atmosphere between them, it's been suggested. Instead of being based in Germany with their boyfriends and husbands for the tournament, the WAGs have been flown in and out for rest day reunions after each match. The complexity of this operation was illustrated yesterday when WAGs were seen emerging from some six different private jets to visit the Three Lions' training base before their quarter-final tie against Switzerland on Saturday.
The decision to keep them away apart from on visiting days was taken after suggestions in previous tournaments that they have overshadowed the team's efforts - particularly at the previous tournament in Germany in 2006 when the antics of the likes of Victoria Beckham , Coleen Rooney , Cheryl Cole , Abbey Clancy and Alex Gerard became notorious. But a WAG insider told MailOnline today: 'The fact that the current group of players' wives and girlfriends haven't been spending all the Euros together has definitely affected the atmosphe.
