New Delhi. Just before the start of the Football World Cup campaign, the England team is caught in an unexpected crisis. According to media reports, important sports equipment of the team was stolen on the way, due to which the concerns of the players and support staff have increased. The stolen items are said to include players’ boots, footballs, training equipment and other essential resources.
According to reports, the England team held its pre-World Cup training camp in Florida before the tournament. Here the team played practice matches against New Zealand, Costa Rica and local club Miami United. After the camp ended, the players reached the team hotel in Kansas City by plane on Saturday morning, while their luggage had already been sent by road.
Meanwhile, the cargo filled with the team’s equipment became a victim of theft on the way. The Daily Mail report claims that the thieves ran away with the players’ boots, footballs and other important items. As soon as information about the incident was received, there was panic among the support staff of the England team.
It is being told that the team management is now busy in arranging new boots and necessary resources for the players so that the preparations for the first match against Croatia are not affected. However, it is not yet clear how many players’ belongings have been stolen and what is the total loss.
According to the information, this incident happened while delivering goods from West Palm Beach in Florida to Swope Soccer Village Base in Missouri. The England team is going to stay at this base for the next three weeks. Head coach Thomas Tuchel’s team was scheduled to have its first training session here on Saturday afternoon, but before that the news of the theft changed the atmosphere of the entire camp.
The report also claimed that almost the entire cargo was missing and only a football was found among the remaining items. It is feared that the boots of several players including captain Harry Kane and star midfielder Jude Bellingham may also be included in the stolen goods.
The stolen items included not only sports equipment, but also analysis equipment to the team’s strategic preparations, coach Thomas Tuchel’s tactical whiteboard and a massage table used for players’ recovery. Before leaving the Florida camp, the staff had packed the entire training kit and necessary resources and sent it to the base.
This incident is being considered as a big blow for the England team before the first match against Croatia on Thursday. According to sources, the investigating agencies suspect that some drivers employed to carry the goods may be involved in this incident. The investigation is being carried forward in this direction.
The England Football Association (FA) has contacted local police and a search for the stolen items is ongoing. The biggest challenge for the team management has now become to arrange for the necessary equipment on time.
However, no official statement has been issued by the FA yet. The chaos in the England camp before the start of the World Cup has created new concerns about the team’s preparations. England’s first match is to be played against Croatia on Thursday, June 18 at 1:30 pm.
