Gary Neville has revealed he was “f***ing fuming” over the WAGs situation during England’s 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany.
The former Manchester United defender made the candid admission during a recent episode of The Overlap, while speaking directly to Coleen Rooney.
Neville described the scene at England’s Baden-Baden base as “an absolute circus” during the tournament.
His strong comments prompted fellow pundit Jamie Carragher to interject with “Backtrack! Backtrack, reverse!” amid laughter.
Gary Neville has revealed he was “f***ing fuming” over the WAGs situation during England’s 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany
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Neville quickly clarified that his anger wasn’t directed at the wives individually, but rather at the organisers of the arrangements.
The England camp’s stay in Baden-Baden became notorious for its £1million hotel bill racked up by the WAGs.
The setup saw players’ families and wives stationed at a separate hotel from the squad, who were managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson at the time.
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England Wags were a big distraction at the 2006 World Cup in Germany
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The arrangement created daily media stories about the WAGs’ activities, from their shopping trips to dining choices, with England eventually crashing out in the quarter-finals to Portugal.
Neville, whose own wife was present during the tournament, pointed to the problematic mixing of sports writers, journalists, families and wives all being housed in the same hotel.
The situation unfolded during what Neville described as “the biggest competition of our lives” when England had “a good team.”
The constant media attention created significant disruption for the England squad, according to Neville.
“When the players went to their press conferences, they were being asked about it all the time,” he revealed.
“I just thought it was nonsense in the midst of a World Cup,” the former defender added.
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The distractions proved particularly frustrating as stories emerged daily about the WAGs’ activities.
“There were stories breaking every day. They’ve eaten here today, or They’ve shopped here – it was just a constant distraction,” Neville said.
The Three Lions ultimately exited the tournament in the quarter-finals, losing to Portugal on penalties with Coleen’s husband, Wayne, dismissed for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho.
Coleen defended the WAGs’ behaviour during the tournament, claiming reports of excessive partying were “exaggerated.”
Coleen Rooney has defended the antics of England Wags at the 2006 World Cup
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“There was lots of press in the hotel – all the sports writers were there, and the place was tiny,” she explained.
Coleen also highlighted the limited options available to them in Baden-Baden.
“We couldn’t stay in a hotel all day, we had to go out and get food and enjoy ourselves,” she said.
“I do think it was unfair the way we got called out for it, that we got the blame for having a good time.”
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