Southgate's telling response to repeating infamous England World Cup mistake

21 November 2023 , 22:30

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Southgate's telling response to repeating infamous England World Cup mistake

Gareth Southgate has ruled out England making a return to Baden Baden next summer.

England stars’ WAGs stole the headlines with their partying during the 2006 World Cup and this will be the first return to Germany for a major tournament. But Southgate has already identified a choice of locations in the German countryside but wants the players to be out of the spotlight.

Three Lions boss Southgate insists families will be allowed to visit the squad but does not want a return to the days when Posh Spice and Co were blamed for England’s World Cup failure. Southgate will discover England’s opponents at the Euros draw on Saturday, December 2, where nations will also be told which region of Germany they will play their matches to cut down on travelling.

‌When asked whether England would go back to Baden Baden, Southgate smiled: “Well…no!

“Really somewhere where we can be a little bit on our own. We need that nice contrast of relaxation and areas where we can work. You want to minimise travel where you can but we are really, within the FA, our staff are really good at picking those venues that I think the players will enjoy and will feel comfortable in.

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“You basically want to be somewhere where everything that's going on around you, you can zone out from really but somewhere with facilities that are good for working. I wasn't involved in that tournament so I don't know how all that was but we have a great environment with our players.

‌“We want their families to be able to go and enjoy the tournament as well. We normally welcome them in at various times. It changes the dynamic of the hotel, especially if the kids come in and I think those those elements are important for the players.”

England's Baden Baden World Cup training camp drew criticism in 2006 (Daily Mirror)

‌England were drawn against Scotland in Euro 2020 and could potentially get their old enemy again in the draw with Southgate’s men among the top seeds. Southgate insisted he would enjoy the “extra edge” of that fixture but was just as concerned about avoiding a nightmare draw.

‌He added: “There look like being really strong teams in pot two and pot three looks like it could be very strong. In the last Euros we had Croatia in with us, who proved to be one of the best teams in the world over the last few years and we managed to navigate that so we've just got to be ready for whatever comes our way.

‌“I think always for the fans, those games (with Scotland) have that extra edge, don't they? But from our perspective, we're just content with whatever comes out and we just have to deal with it. They're all different sorts of challenges.”

John Cross