Paddy Upton Reveals He Was In Favour of Players Having Sex Before The Matches In The 2011 World Cup

When it comes to sex before matches, there have always been two schools of thought. Some believe that prohibiting sex before matches prevents distractions, whereas others believe that sex before matches help reduce stress. Paddy Upton, who was responsible for the mental well-being of the Indian team in the 2011 World Cup, falls under the second category.

Upton wanted to allow players to have sex before the matches in the mega event, which India eventually won. Gary Kirsten was India's head coach at the time. Upton suggested to Kirsten that she ask the Indian players to have sex before the games. However, the head coach was opposed to the idea and dismissed Paddy's suggestion. Paddy Upton revealed this in his book "The Barefoot Coach."

The idea of sex before a game first emerged during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. England made a strong start to the tournament, winning two games and drawing one. However, in a knockout game, they were defeated by Portugal in a penalty shootout. Many blamed the England team's wives and girlfriends who accompanied the players on the tour after the team's exit.

Notably, England's coach in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Goran Erikson, later revealed that he did not prohibit the players from having sex before the match, which resulted in the team losing in the knockout game because the players were tired before the game, sparking a massive debate about whether or not players should be allowed to have sex before matches.

It helps you concentrate: Ronaldo

While many were in favour of prohibiting sex before games, some were opposed because they believed it allowed players to relieve stress. Brazilian Football superstar Ronaldo was one of the most vocal supporters of having sex before a game.

"I have had sex several times before some games. It helps you concentrate. Not all the coaches let you have sex before a match though. I have noticed that in some games that I played better because I had sex before them," he claimed as per a report in SkySports.