Almost no sex, please, we’re Irish. Giovanni Trapattoni has said that if Ireland qualify for the World Cup in South Africa next summer, the players will be allowed conjugal relations with wives and girlfriends once only, and on one night only.

“Sex is positive,” said the Republic of Ireland coach. “When you are away 20 days with the team it is also good.” But it should be just “one a night”, he reckons, and not “three times, four times, five times”, he said, slapping his thigh each time for emphasis. “That is not good,” he pronounced.

“Normally we have training with the team for 10 days or one week [at a tournament], but it is good to let the players spend a day with family and with friends.”

The issue arose last Thursday as Trapattoni discussed his participation in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where he met his wife Paola, who was working as a waitress in a café the Italian team frequented. Asked would he follow the lead of the England manager, Fabio Capello, who has tightened the rules on wives and girlfriends (Wags), Trapattoni referred to his time as Italy manager at the 2004 tournament.

“I had players at the World Cup in Korea with wives and girlfriends. Together is not a problem in airplane, when we fly and travel, but we have a separate hotel to the girlfriends,” he said.

“After three games I let the players spend a day with the families. But the hotel is private. The World Cup can be a time of great confusion with lots of attention, millions of people watching and television reporters all over the place.”

Should Ireland qualify, Trapattoni will be anxious to avoid the circus that accompanied the England team at the last World Cup, when the Wags term was coined.

Times Recommends

• 'Radio Rancid' is scourge of Obama
• French gulp as global warming alters wines
• Colton, the barefoot boy bandit, outfoxes sheriffs