Dr. Vera Ribeiro, a sex therapist and wife of Portugal national football team goalkeeper Rui Patricio reportedly claimed that instead of abstaining from sex, footballers should practice masturbation to improve their performance at the 2018 World Cup, according to The Sun. She believes that the European champs will have a better chance of adding a world title to the trophy cabinet if they practice a little self-love. She urged her husband and his team mates to masturbate to help them win the World Cup.

The psychologist who specialises in sex says that players who give themselves a hand will be more relaxed and less stressed than those who abstain. In her book titled Manual of Seduction, Ribeiro argues that the players would be able to better cope with stress and anxiety by masturbating, adding that, contrary to the popular belief before a sports event may negatively affect an athlete’s performance as ‘nothing positive can come from abstinence’.

“Football players should not abstain from having sex before games, but we also know that in terms of routine they are not in contact with their families either. We cannot associate sports performance with the occurrence of sex,” Ribeiro reportedly told the Portuguese TV. Pre-game celibacy is common in sport with many athletes believing that having a bit of nookie before kick-off can make them lose their edge on the pitch.

Meanwhile, German coach has slapped a sex ban on his players during the World Cup. The 2018 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 14. The tournament’s matches will be hosted in 11 Russian cities, including Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Sochi and Kazan. Portugal’s first cup clash will be against Spain in Sochi on June 15.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2018 02:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).