Sorry Wags there isn’t any Gucci or Chanel the place you are going this summer season
They are usually decked out head-to-toe in high-end designer brands.
But any WAGs wishing to indulge in a spot of shopping during England’s Euro 2024 campaign might have to make do with TK Maxx and H&M.
The Three Lions’ wives and girlfriends are expected to make flying visits to their loved ones in Germany following each match in the tournament.
However, the closest city to the squad’s training camp is decidedly short on the luxury labels such as Luis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel.
Erfurt, in the central Thurangia region, boasts one of Germany’s best preserved medieval towns.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s model girlfriend Iris Law pictured at The Shrounds premiere at the Cannes Film Festival
Pictured: Jude Bellingham’s girlfriend Laura Celia eating pizza in her underwear
Pictured, Jarrod Bowen’s girlfriend Dani Dyer posing for a promotional shoot for ITV’s Love Island
The players’ partners will be well-catered for with bars, cafes and restaurants, with hearty local specialities such as Thuringian dumplings and bratwurst sausages.
The England team are staying at the remote Spa and Golf Resort Weimarer Land outside Blankenhain, around a 40-minute drive from Erfurt.
The FA has spent an estimated £800,000 to secure the entire 94-room property for the duration of the tournament.
In the end, the Germans had to make do with a week-long training camp the resort, before making way for England at the end of May.
Ellie Alderson, partner of Ollie Watkins, with whom she has two children, posing while on holiday
Harry and Katie Kane, who live together in Germany where the Euros are being held, pose on the red carpet for the Pride of Britain Awards
Phil Foden’s girlfriend Rebecca Cooke smiles as she takes pictures on her phone during the Manchester City v Inter Milan match of the 2023 UEFA Champions League final
Blankenhain, which has a population of 7,000 people, offers little in the way of interest for the average WAG.
Although the town is blessed with budget supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, the only clothes store in the town is a branch of German discount clothing retailer NKD.
Meanwhile, the main hotel is the basic £90-a-night, family-run Parkhotel.
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the WAGS such as Bukayo Saka’s Tolami Benson, then 22, Jack Grealish’s Sasha Attwood, 25, and Aaron Ramsdale’s Georgina Irwin, 26, blitzed the malls of Doha.
And while Erfrurt has its own large mall called Anger 1, the only designer stores in the historic centre include Jack and Jones, Levis and G-Star RAW.
The city also boasts a branch of C&A, the High Street clothing store which left the UK in 2000, before Ms Benson, now 23, was even born.
The high street in Erfurt, one of the best preserved medieval town centres in Germany
Erfurt in the Thuringia region of Germany, the closest city to the England team base, has high street shops including TK Max, H&M (pictured), C&A and other local fashion outlets
The FA purposely settled on the central Thuringia state as a base after England manager Gareth Southgate declared a desire to ensure no distractions in the camp.
Asked if he envisaged a repeat of the sideshow that engulfed the national team in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when WAGs such as Coleen Rooney and Victoria Beckham created more headlines than the team as they partied in the spa town of Baden-Baden, Southgate said: ‘Well, no! We want 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 our staff are really good at picking venues the players will enjoy and feel comfortable in.’
He added: ‘We want their families to enjoy the tournament too. We welcome them in at various times.
‘It really changes the dynamic of the hotel, especially if kids come in, and those elements are important for the players.’
The WAGs and families are expected to make flying visits to the base camp on the day after matches to see their loved ones in the squad, including Sunday’s group stage clash with Serbia.
A source said some may quickly return to England before flying back out to Germany after the following game in Frankfurt against Denmark, while others – particularly families with children – may stay in the area for a short break.
The FA is expected to lay on transport for families flying in to cities such as Berlin, Leipzig or Frankfurt, as the regional Erfurt-Weimar airport does not have a direct flight connection to Britain.
