Sad news for David Beckham … it appears that his wishes to remain with Italian professional soccer team AC Milan, the team that the LA Galaxy graciously loaned him to while the MLS is on off-season hiatus, will not be honored by his MLS soccer team — the Galaxy has decided NOT to let him out of his contract and will require that he return to the US to play with his team again once his loan out period is completed at the end of March. It would seem the LA Galaxy is much more interested in protecting their massive investment in him rather than comply with his whims to abandon his team for another:

David Beckham is coming back to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The English midfielder will return to the MLS team next month as scheduled after his two-month loan agreement with AC Milan ends despite his wish to stay in Italy. Tim Leiweke, president of Galaxy parent AEG, said Friday the Italian club didn’t make a second offer to the Galaxy to keep Beckham so the team will adhere to MLS commissioner Don Garber’s Friday deadline to resolve the situation. The Galaxy had earlier rejected Milan’s only offer. “We didn’t receive an offer today,” Leiweke told The Associated Press by phone from Colorado. “We will abide by the commissioner’s wishes, so we are clear at this point that we don’t want to have any further conversations.” Leiweke said he had discussions with Milan officials earlier in the week, but heard nothing from them Friday. “They clearly were looking at this as a football decision and we were looking at it as a football and business decision,” he said. “I’m not sure they ever quite understood the magnitude of the losses the Galaxy and the league would have had to bear this season. They were very respectful discussions. We’re fine. There’s no issues here.” Leiweke said he had not spoken directly to Beckham, but that he informed the player’s representatives the loan would not be made permanent. Beckham’s five-year Galaxy contract is owned by MLS, and he is due in the team’s training camp on March 9. “I know David is emotionally invested, but I don’t think Milan really was that interested in spending the money we would have had to receive to compensate us for our losses,” Leiweke said. “We need David to honor the contract and come home and let’s stop the distraction.” Leiweke said Beckham will likely be disappointed by the outcome, but added that “David is a professional. He will get his arms around this and he will come back here.” Beckham had said he wanted to stay with Milan in a bid to play one more World Cup with England in South Africa next year. “He can probably still accomplish that as well by being here in 2009,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said Friday before the resolution was announced. “We look forward to having him back with the club,” Arena said in a statement issued Friday night. Leiweke confirmed that Beckham has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave at the end of this year. “Clearly the risk is we may lose him at the end of the year,” Leiweke said. “Our hope is the team surprises him and we’re a lot better than last year.” Beckham arrived injured amid much hoopla in July 2007, but he had no goals and two assists as the Galaxy finished with a 9-14-7 record that was third-worst in the league. Last season, Beckham had five goals and 10 assists, but the Galaxy’s 8-13-9 record tied for the worst in MLS. Beckham was injured last season, when he left the Galaxy at various times for appearances with England’s national team. Garber said this week he wanted Beckham’s future resolved by Friday or he would not approve any transfer between the two teams. “The negotiations are over and we move on,” Leiweke said. “We look forward to seeing David back in camp. We need to have a good season and we need to live up to a higher expectation.” Leiweke said the Galaxy’s sponsors and season ticket holders were clamoring for a conclusion to the saga. “We heard loud and clear this week from our contractual partners that they wanted an end to this,” he said. “We need to pay a little bit of attention to the league and Galaxy now.” The Galaxy opens the MLS season at home March 22 against D.C. United.

Whew! I’m really glad this ridiculousness is FINALLY over and done with. It absolutely would make NO SENSE for the LA Galaxy to let their investment in David Beckham just leave after they generously loaned him out to another soccer team to play for a couple of months. While Becks may now be interested in playing for AC Milan, he signed a deal to play with the LA Galaxy for a set period of time (and for A LOT of money) and must be held to his contract. I would bet money that Becks will exercise his option to leave the team at the end of this year but, until then, I think it’s deffo in the LA Galaxy‘s best interest to hold him to his contract. David Beckham is a professional and I’m sure he will do his best for whichever team he is playing for. AC Milan is currently enjoying the fruits of his talents and soon, the LA Galaxy will enjoy those fruits once again … the way it should be :) I, for one, am thrilled! I am going to make sure I get out to the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA this season to see more Becks in action while I can. Woot!!!

UPDATE: David Beckham is now speaking out about how this action on the part of the LA Galaxy to hold him to his contract is making HIM feel. After the jump, check out his new comments on this contractual tug-o-war situation …

The bottom line is, he is none too happy that his current soccer team is making him honor his contract with them:

David Beckham says life would be “difficult” should he be forced to return to play in Los Angeles. The 33-year-old soccer hunk – on loan from the LA Galaxy to Italy’s AC Milan – has already made clear his desire to continue playing the European circuit. But on Sunday, Beckham confessed that a return to Los Angeles would be awkward. “I’ve said I want to stay here, and if I do go back then it will be a bit difficult, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens,” Beckham told reporters after his AC Milan team was beaten by local rivals Inter Milan, 2-1. Asked if he might see the issue resolved over the next few days, Beckham responded: “I don’t know. It is out of my hands, and they’ll be talking in the next week or two.” Approached by PEOPLE, Beckham’s U.K. rep was unavailable for comment.

As much as I love David Beckham, all this public whining in the press is making him look to me like a spoiled cry-baby brat … calling into question the professionalism that I used to think he had. He totally sounds like a little kid who gets lavished with a big, expensive shiny toy … which he plays with for a while and seems to love and then starts playing with someone else’s toy and wants that one instead. When he doesn’t get what he wants, he throws a tantrum in the middle of the toy store, stamping down his feet saying, But I want it! It’s ridiculous! Own up to your contractual responsibilities. If you’re unhappy with the contract that YOU signed, why are bitching about it to the press as if it was anyone else’s fault but your own? I just don’t get it. Again, I do like the guy but the complaining has got to stop … it’s unsavory and really unattractive.

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