Hi °C | Lo °C Fabio Capello wiped out the WAG culture that surrounded England in Germany in 2006 at a stroke yesterday by banning the wives and girlfriends circus from South Africa next summer.
The England manager laid down stringent rules for his players' families one day after his team qualified for the World Cup.
The infamous WAGs — wives and girlfriends — will only be able to visit their husbands or partners on the days after matches in South Africa.
Capello said: “We are there to play, not for a holiday. The players will have one day with their family. It will be one day a week, after each game and that is enough.
“That's it. I like [the set-up] we have made here at training [at their hotel in Hertfordshire] where the players stay together.”
As well as being only the second England manager to win a World Cup — and the first foreigner —there is also a £2m bonus personally at stake for Capello. The 63-year-old has a basic salary of around £4m from the Football Association but he can boost that by £2m if he wins the World Cup with England, making him comfortably the highest-paid manager at the tournament.
Although not all the players' families were culpable in soaking up the attention of the paparazzi in Baden Baden in 2006, the small south-western spa town near England's base, the actions of a few contributed to an aura that lacked professionalism.
Asked whether the same would happen again, Capello tutted loudly and replied: “No, absolutely not. Please. If they [WAGs] do not want to come for the day, then they should stay at home.”
The huge scale of South Africa, and the likely remoteness of England's training camp, will make it difficult for the families to set themselves up nearby.
It is understood that some parents of England players are considering staying at home because of the lack of an organised trip by the FA and fears about their personal security if they travel to South Africa independently.
