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Chris Coleman bans wives and girlfriends from Wales Euro 2016 group stage

Wales's manager Chris Coleman
Image: Chris Coleman says Wales will ban wives and girlfriends from team hotel during Euro 2016 group stage

Wales manager Chris Coleman will ban the wives and girlfriends of his players from their team hotel at Euro 2016.

Coleman is well aware that the presence of the WAGs has been a contentious issue at major tournaments since England's 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany was somewhat overshadowed by the presence of Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney and others.

With Wales hoping to make an impact at their first major tournament in 58 years, Coleman revealed on Monday that, at least during for the group stage of the tournament in France, he wants his players to focus on football with no family distractions.

That means his own wife, television presenter Charlotte Coleman, and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale's partner Emma Rhys-Jones will have to stay at home.

Hal Robson-Kanu celebrates
Image: Wales will be playing at their first major tournament since 1958

"We have three games and there will be no family, no girlfriends, no wives in our hotel in the first period of the group stage," said Coleman, whose squad will be based in the Brittany coastal resort of Dinard.

"We have three games in 10 days and there's no time, we are preparing, travelling, playing, travelling.

"We said let's get through the group because then there's a six-day period and we can have a day where we say it's OK to spend some time with the family - and then, bang, we are at it again."

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Wales will face Slovakia, England and Russia in the group stages of their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

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