Beatrice (left), wife of France’s David Trezeguet, and Nicole Merry, wife of Thierry Henry

Berlin, July 6 (AFP): England may be out of the World Cup and coach Sven-Goran Eriksson out of a job, but at least his flamboyant girlfriend Nancy Dell’orio did not return from Germany empty-handed.

The Italian played mother hen to the players’ wives and girlfriends as they emptied the designer boutiques of the chic town of Baden-Baden where England were based.

The Garibaldi Bar in the spa town has never seen anything like it ? the other halves of players earning upwards of ?100,000 a week certainly know how to splash around the cash.

The champagne was flowing, and so were the photo opportunities for the former Posh Spice and wife of David, Victoria, who now seems content to just spend it like Beckham.

But just as for their husbands and boyfriends, it all ended in tears for the England WAGs (wives and girlfriends) when their Portuguese counterparts jeered at them as they left the Aufschalke stadium following the quarter-final defeat in a penalty shootout, according to an indignant report in Britain’s Sun tabloid.

Once back on home soil, Cheryl Tweedy, the soon-to-be-wife of defender Ashley Cole and a pop star herself, hit out at her glamourous rivals. “It’s like a comedy ? everyone’s so flash. It’s like, ‘who’s got the best watch on, who’s got the best bag, which wife is dressed the best, which wife’s got the best hair?” she told OK! magazine. “I’m like, ‘I’ve got my own career’.”

The stylish French were out in force for their partners’ resurgence as the 1998 winners charged into the semi-finals. Veronique Zidane eschews the spotlight, but was seen laughing and joking in the good seats in Frankfurt.

Italy are never to be outdone in the style stakes ? and that includes their partners. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is married to Czech model Alena Seredova, who has faithfully worn an Italy jersey with her hubby’s name on the back, but has appeared regularly in the German press wearing considerably less.