Dr. Vera Ribeiro, a sex therapist and wife of the Portuguese national football team goalkeeper Rui Patricio, recently declared that instead of abstaining from sex, footballers should practice masturbation to improve their performance at the 2018 World Cup, according to The Sun.
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 that sexual relief 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 saidshould 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 said.
"Sex is something natural. Our team consists of young players in excellent health, and it’s highly natural to use the opportunity to ease pressure and relax. This is no problem at all," Lasmar said.
READ MORE: Brazilian Footballers Will Have Timetabled Sex During World Cup 2018 — Reports
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.