A banana a day keeps some happy

The World Cup is just 21 days away and the teams who will be there have come up with some strange demands and unusual requirements.

The hotels they are staying for the tournament seem to have a tough time meeting all those requirements, some of them wacky, UK daily The Mirror reported.

Some of those demands: Algerians want the Quran by their bedsides The English won't go anywhere without Jaffa Cakes Uruguayans have insisted on silent air conditioning so they have a "peaceful and quiet environment" Ecuadorians want daily deliveries of local bananas Australians want their own coffee machines

Meanwhile, the French football federation has reserved every room in the luxurious JP Hotel in Sao Paulo.

The team management has insisted that all the players' rooms are identical - right down to the colour of the paint.

"They asked us to buy two types of liquid soap - one for showering and the other to wash their hands," The Mirror quoted hotel general manager Luciana Marotta Guimaraes.

The Germans have the most extravagant preparations, thanks to sponsors such as Mercedes, which have deep pockets.

FACILITIES

The team have their own training facility in remote Santo Andre, Bahia, which will have 13 houses, 65 rooms, a football field and treatment facilities.

By comparison, Roy Hodgson's England squad is making very few demands.

"The team traditionally travels with home comforts such as baked beans and Jaffa Cakes, and Brazil will be no exception.

But preparations are meticulous, with high-carb meals, peanut energy balls, re-hydration drinks, oat cakes, English mustard, organic chocolate and herbal tea included on team menus.

Mr George Durante, general manager of the Royal Tulip Hotel in Rio, told The Mirror that the team asked them to set aside only one of the three restaurants for their exclusive use.

He said: "We will give the footballers a dedicated video games room with three TVs and the latest games.

"And they want the sole use of the gym and pool for just several hours every day."

Bosnia, in their first World Cup, are trying to stay calm before the storm.

"Bosnians have asked us to install an acoustic sound-proofed screen," said Lourival Pierim of Casa Grande Hotel Resort & Spa in Guaruja, Sao Paulo. The players will dine on one side and coaching staff on the other. Their chatter will not be mixed."

This article was first published on May 22, 2014.
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