WAGs shown the red card by hardline England boss Capello

At the Italian's first training session on Monday, hardline Capello showed his men he was cutting down on the celebrity hysteria surrounding the team.

As well as banning wives and girlfriends, Capello has refused to allow wearing shorts and flip-flops, playing on Playstations and using mobile phones in public areas.

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Capello's ban means partners will have to stay away from the team ahead of tonight's friendly against Switzerland at Wembley.

The WAGs will be condemned to supporting their partners on the TV in their millionaire country mansions.

A typical WAG is recognised by her fake tan, hair extensions, oversized sunglasses and the arm-breaking, oversized designer bag she is carrying.

Some WAGs have managed to turn their status into a 'job'. Wayne Rooney's bride-to-be Coleen has a reported £8million fortune thanks to a perfume range, book, TV and fitness DVD deals and a column in Closer magazine.

WAGs became a force of their own during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The British press devoted pages to covering the WAGs' shopping and partying antics in the spa town of Baden Baden.

The WAGs reportedly spent £1million during their time in Baden Baden, with Steven Gerrard's wife Curran reportedly flying in two 'fake tan specialists' to maintain her faux orange hue.

As well as the presence of long-time WAGs Curran, McLoughlin and Frank Lampard's fiancée Elen Rives - who was quickly deemed the ringleader of the women - the media was also introduced to Peter Crouch's model girlfriend Abbey Clancy and newcomer Theo Walcott's A'level student girlfriend Melanie Slade.

In a separate WAG camp at Baden Baden was Posh Spice Victoria Beckham and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole, who preferred to disassociate themselves from the other WAGs.

Cheryl - wife of Chelsea player Ashley Cole - insisted she wasn't a WAG, because unlike the others, she worked for a living.

She said: "Footballers' wives have no careers and live off their husbands' money. I was in Girls Aloud before I met Ashley and have my own successful career.

"I'm not going to quit the band and sit around in the sun all day or go shopping with Ashley's plastic."

Pop star Jamelia, who is engaged to Bristol City player Darren Byfield, has also criticised WAGs, saying: "Footballers' wives don't do anything. All they do is spend their boyfriends' money.

"Their priorities are all wrong - you never see them with their kids, just with shopping bags. I have more respect for women who make their own money and aren't dependent on a man."

Some critics even blamed the WAGs' presence in Germany on England's exit from the tournament.

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Capello's WAG ban echoes comments by Sunderland manager Roy Keane last year that some players are allowing their partners to control their careers.

Complaining he had trouble luring big players to Sunderland because of lack of good shops, Keane said: "If they don't want to come because their wife wants to go shopping in London, it's a sad state of affairs... To me, that player is weak because his wife runs his life.

"That happens at the big clubs as well. I could name four big players and clearly their wives and girlfriends are running their lives because they are doing these photoshoots and that kind of stuff."