Sven Goran-Eriksson defended Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney and the rest of the 2006 World Cup WAG squad after they were accused of stealing the show.
The Swedish football manager, 74, insisted the group were doing ‘completely normal things’ as the glamorous squad sat in the stands and enjoyed fun nights out in Germany during the tournament.
Led by Victoria, 48, Coleen, 36, and Cheryl Cole, 39, the wives and girlfriends commanded the spotlight, attracting more attention than their partners, who actually took to the field.
Support: Sven Goran-Eriksson defended Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole and the rest of the 2006 World Cup WAG squad after being accused of stealing the show
The group was kitted out in designer outfits and their endless shopping, spats and late night parties throughout the journey were seen as a major distraction for footballers at the time.
Speaking to Boyle Sports’ World Cup, Sven reflected on the scandal and defended the group, but admitted the increased focus on the Spice Girl hadn’t “made it any easier”.
The coach also defended the presence of the WAGs, rather than staying ‘bored’ in a hotel, after the brigade was seen traveling in Germany.
‘One of the wives [at the World Cup] was Victoria Beckham and of course that didn’t make it any easier, it made it fantastic for the press,’ he explained.
Famous moment: The Swedish football manager, 74, insisted the group were doing ‘completely normal things’ as the glamorous squad sat in the stands (pictured Cheryl and Coleen Rooney)
“We saw the women maybe once a week at dinner and I decided when it had to be, and the rest of the days of course the women were invited here and there and the FA helped them not to be sitting in a hotel, bored and I think that was great.
Sven admitted that “everything” the WAGs did at the time was considered a scandal due to the increased attention given to them at the time.
He added: “Whatever they did was an outrage. If they went to a bar, if they went to a restaurant, if they went out shopping… [but] they were [doing] completely normal things. I found the reaction a bit unnecessary.
It was widely claimed that WAG’s party behavior was the reason the partners were banned from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Defend: Sven reflected on the scandal and defended the group, but admitted the increased attention given to David Beckham’s wife hadn’t ‘made it any easier’
Elsewhere, David Beckham recently addressed claims that the WAG Brigade stole the show with their designer-laden looks at the 2006 World Cup.
Speaking in June, he admitted wives and girlfriends had gone ‘too far’ after stealing the show.
David admitted Victoria winced at some of the looks she sported when reflecting on competing years later, in an interview for Gary Neville’s The Overlap YouTube channel.
Reflecting on the decision to put the footballer’s families center stage at this World Cup, David admitted he was never against loved ones supporting them at the tournament.
Scandal: The group’s endless runs, spats and late-night parties along the journey were seen as a distraction for the footballers. Pictured: Cheryl with Victoria and Brooklyn Beckham
He said: “I think there was attention on them. I always thought that as an English captain, having wives, girlfriends and children around was not a bad thing.
“Once you’re in training camp, you’re in training camp, you have to focus, but I think at the start of a tournament that’s not a bad thing.”
But the sportsman, who captained the Three Lions for the tournament which saw them crumble in the quarter-finals after losing a penalty shoot-out to Portugal, confessed the WAG obsession had gone “too much”. away”.
He said: “Looking back, this whole culture – there was a lot of attention around it and whether people were behaving in the right way, I don’t know.”
Looking back: David Beckham (pictured with Michael Owen) recently addressed claims the WAG Brigade stole the show, saying they had gone ‘too far’
“Even Victoria – she’s the first to say now – what was I doing, what was I wearing, why would I do that?” It made [go too far].
“We talked more about WAG than football. back then, the players wanted to focus on the tournament. It’s gone too far, but I think the presence of the WAGs and the family is a good thing.
Victoria joined the army of WAGs who descended on Germany at this World Cup with their families, commanding attention with their designer outfits as they cheered on their husbands in the stands.
Known for her glamorous designer outfits, Victoria also donned an England Rocks tank top for England’s game against Trinidad and Tobago.
As he and Gary visited the hotel in Qatar which will host England during the World Cup later this year, David admitted he preferred a remote location for the club to train and relax before links too crucial.
He told his former teammate: “Every player was different. Once you’re in the tournament, you had to be involved with where we were, the atmosphere, the playroom.
“Once we started bringing players like Rooney into the team, you had players who loved games. What you are looking for is tranquility.
“You want to be in the middle of nowhere. Even if you want a little atmosphere, all you care about are the games. This [England’s Qatar hotel] is perfect.’
Oh my goodness: David admitted that Victoria (both pictured in 2019) winces at some of the looks she sported as she reflects on competing years later