The football World Cup is fast approaching us. Our TV’s are inundated with great moments such as Houghton’s goal against Italy in 94, Keane against Germany in 02, Armstrong v Spain in 82, and of course Lineker scoring v Germany in 90 (yes, I have never pretended I wasn’t English). These are the great moments that for sports fans like me will last to my dying day.
It is also the time for that debate that we have every few years about whether football players locked away from the world in preparation for a tournament should be able to have sex with women (or men) during that period. It has been a controversial debate for years and years, and this week Germany coach Joachim Low came very much down on the ‘no sex’ side of the argument as he banned his team from any of those antics.
To many this will seem an antiquated view. However, those who claim that no sex is a good thing as it allows players to focus on games are still vocal, and prevalent.
Breaking Focus
As an England fan I remember with dread the 2006 tournament when the WAG’s followed the team around. From the outside looking in it seems as though this was a holiday and a few football matches were getting in the players way. Needless to say, England were home after the quarters, and upon their return the likes of coach Steve McClaren complained about the circus attached to the tournament.
The other argument is that if you lock 23 guys up for (hopefully) two months without female company then they are going to go mad, and paradoxically they won’t be able to focus on the games.
Football writer Hunter Davies thinks the modern debate is just “sniggering and good fun”. “George Best had sex at half time, sex when he was taking corners, sex during throw-ins. But it was drink that got him in the end,” he says. “I don’t believe sex does any harm, so you can only make jokes about it.”
Whether this is true or not, many modern coaches are continuing with these sex bans.
I was reading the Harald Schumacher autobiography from 1987 a few weeks ago. If you remember, he was the guy who wiped out Patrick Battiston in the most famous ‘foul’ in football history. It was such an explosive book it got him banned immediately from playing for West Germany again, and sacked by his club. Still, one of the most fascinating parts was his views on sex in camp.
Harald decided it was a good idea to accuse other players of having sex with hostesses during camp, even hinting coach Franz Beckenbauer was up to it. You can guess why he got banned if that was the tone of the book. Though he himself didn’t want his partner there, he believed the camp should allow prostitutes so the players could have sex, but keep the focus away from the family. I don’t know if I have been working here too long, but the argument made a little bit too much sense than I thought it would.
He went on to say that it is better to have sex with a pro than to go out and meet women outside camp as the boundaries are clear. Plus outside women become fodder for journalists who just want a story, and who believe breaking up a relationship because of tales of shenanigans to be fine
Sex is an important part of all our lives. The question is how much enjoying one pleasure is a detriment to focus. It seems nothing to do with performance. Women don’t ‘weaken legs’ as Mickey said in Rocky. But in professional sport, if you aren’t focused you are likely to lose to other honed athletes. It seems to be all about finding that extra few percent.
What is The Right Answer?
I can certainly see having families around as being a cause of disruption. If you want to go on holiday, then let someone else have your place in the squad. I would recommend letting players out to have sex with their partners, but that almost relegates women to the level of bodies to jerk off with. As I am no WAG, I have no idea if it would be seen as OK or not. Would they be able to understand the fine line sportsmen have to tread? Either way, I wouldn’t want to be the male boss who said ‘go home and screw your Mrs, then come back’. The papers would slaughter me. This is why the ‘Schumacher model’ sits well. However, when some working girls sell their stories to the press and the divorce lawyers get involved, the limits of that plan become evident.
In the end, unless you are going to have a free for all, it seems to me the sex ban is necessary during the camp. But am I being a bit OTT? Let me know in the poll below!
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