Thomas Tuchel has revealed how senior England players were involved in the decision to base the national team in Kansas City during the World Cup.
England teams traditionally travel to and from a permanent base during summer tournaments but considered a different approach this time given the tight turnarounds between some of the games.
Because England don’t kick off their tournament until the back end of the group stage, their schedule is more condensed than other nations. For example, if they win their group and progress to the last eight they will have played four games in 13 days.
But Tuchel said: ‘We’re trying to have Kansas the whole way.
‘That was the choice, to have a home base, to have a bed that you’re used to sleeping in, to have a bed with a good mattress, to have a hotel with privacy. A small hotel, not a 400 or 500 or, 800-bed hotel where we see each other maybe just in the elevators or in the floor between breakfast and meeting.
‘We didn’t want a place where the air-conditioning is on and you cannot open the windows. There are a lot of these hotels in America and I think that makes a difference.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed why his side chose Kansas as their base for the World Cup
Charming hotel The Inn at Meadowbrook has been selected for its intimate feel Stateside
‘So we chose a hotel where you can open the window. We chose a hotel where it’s an intimate and small place and I think once we get used to that place, it makes sense to go back after games.
‘I have feedback from the players that they like that we start late, that they like that it then becomes condensed, so you have no chance to get bored once you go hopefully through the tournament.
‘These are some decisions that had to be made and maybe the headline is: “We try to be as often in Kansas as possible”.’
