I’m a WAG but I hate the stereotypes – my husband does all the cooking
A footballer’s wife told how her life differs from the typical stereotypical WAG life.
Tatiana is married to a famous player from Orlando City Soccer Club.
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The 25-year-old met 26-year-old Mason Stajduhar on Hinge in January 2022 and the two hit it off immediately.
Tatiana found the goalkeeper “cute” and described their story as “love at first sight”, but she admitted she was initially sceptical when he said he was a professional footballer.
“There were no pictures of him in uniform on his profile, so that confused me,” she explains.
“We asked each other about our work and he said it was football, even though I didn’t even know it existed.”
Tatiana said she didn’t like soccer before she met Mason. She didn’t even know the US had a soccer team.
Shortly after their wedding, Tatiana entered the football world and quit her job in the army.
“I would find it difficult to be married to a footballer and I would like to change certain things, like the time you spend apart,” said Tatiana.
“When I stopped working, the schedule wasn’t easy.
“We couldn’t go to weddings or baby showers – we can’t really do anything like that.”
“There are several pros and cons to being a WAG,” the Orlando resident said.
“I have my own morning routine and in the afternoon we meet together.”
Tatiana, who works as a content creator, said she and Mason share a competitive spirit
“We like to go golfing and clay pigeon shooting,” she said.
“We are a competitive bunch, so we like to do anything that involves being outside.”
“What I don’t like is that we don’t have any family moments because of the training and matches.”
Tatiana explained that in the US there is no rivalry between the WAGs because the sport has a smaller group there.
“If Mason played American football, maybe it would be different,” she said.
“The WAG culture isn’t that big here.”
Tatiana said she gets along well with the other women and friends, but she also noted that there is often a “language barrier” between the women.
She is the only American WAG on the team, most of whose player partners are from Iceland, Canada and South America.
Orlando City SC
The club plays as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer, the highest soccer division in the US.
They also compete annually in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which features clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Player salaries range from £55,960 to £2,21,990, with Mason Stajduhar currently earning a gross salary of £111,280 per year.
Source: Capology
Tatiana debunked another outdated misconception about the world of WAGs.
“I wish I had pocket money, but we share our money, we’re married,” she said.
In addition to splitting their money, the couple also follows the same diet plan.
Mason’s talent for cooking is another way the couple flips gender expectations in their relationship.
“We’re both super healthy and he does most of the cooking,” Tatiana said.
“We have a Pilates machine in our house and we train together.”
Despite the stereotypes, she said she loves life as a WAG and would follow Mason around the world.
“I am always open to a move. It would be difficult to move abroad, but we like adventure,” says Tatiana.
Although she said she wouldn’t change anything about her relationship, she did express her disgust at the way ‘the upper echelons’ of the football industry treat people.
She compared her experiences in the military to the way personnel and players are often treated in the top football leagues.
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