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Five convicted of stealing from England World Cup team

By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Five hotel workers convicted of stealing from England team
  • Items have been returned, FA spokesman says
  • Theft happened at team's training base in Rustenberg
  • Team flew back Tuesday to criticism

Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- Five hotel workers in South Africa have been convicted of stealing items from England football players, the Football Association said Tuesday.

The theft adds insult to injury after England's 4-0 defeat by Germany on Sunday, which knocked the Three Lions out of the tournament.

"We can confirm that some items went missing, which have thankfully been returned," said a spokesman for the FA, which governs English football.

The items were stolen by cleaning staff at the team's hotel in Rustenberg, where they had their training base, the FA said.

"The local police have dealt with the matter and, as far as we are concerned, it has been resolved," the spokesman said.

The five hotel workers were convicted Sunday by a special World Cup court, he said.

The England team flew back to London on Tuesday morning, returning to headlines denouncing the team as a "joke" for their poor performance.