Last October, it was officially announced that David Beckham would be allowed to go on 2-month loan to the Italian soccer team AC Milan after the team he was under contract with, LA Galaxy, agreed to let him spend the MLS Soccer off-season to play professional soccer with the Italian team. In December, Becks made his debut as an AC Milano and was treated to a hero’s welcome. In January, Becks made his official debut in the Italian Soccer League in a game against AC Milan rivals AS Roma … later that month, he scored his first (of very few) goals for his “temporary” new team. Then, in early February, David Beckham made public statements that it was his wish to quit the LA Galaxy and remain a member of AC Milan permanently … after a few weeks of haggling back and forth, AC Milan and LA Galaxy struck a deal where the Italians would be allowed to buy out his contract on the condition that Becks returns home to SoCal in July to play a few games to finish out his (overall pitiful) stint with the Galaxy. Now, after all these months later (and a quick pit-stop in London) … David Beckham finally returns “home” to SoCal:
For the last six months the Beckham clan has lived a transatlantic existence, with footballer David in Milan and his wife Victoria and their sons across the Atlantic in Los Angeles. But the family was finally reunited this morning when the couple joined their three sons at Heathrow for a flight back to their American home. David will play for U.S. team LA Galaxy until October, before returning to Milan, and is sure to enjoy the chance to spend time being a hands-on father. Today he carried four-year-old Cruz through Heathrow airport, planting a kiss on the side of his head as they shared a hug. Victoria held hands with six-year-old Romeo, who smiled for the cameras, while ten-year-old Brooklyn walked between his parents. The boys all wore matching outfits of blue t-shirts and checked shirts, perhaps picked by their fashion designer mother. But in contrast to her casual family, high maintenance Victoria was dressed in yet another designer dress, with a pair of high heels. The flight is the second long-haul journey for Victoria and David in less than 24 hours. Last night they arrived at Heathrow from the Seychelles, where they celebrated their ten-year anniversary. They left their three children with Victoria’s parents for the occasion and checked into a £2,000-a-night villa at an eco spa resort on a private island. Following yesterday’s 13-hour flight they then boarded a 12-hour flight this morning.
Funny enough, on Sunday July 19 the LA Galaxy will take on AC Milan at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA … I would assume that Becks will be playing for the Galaxy but considering the way he abandoned his team and jumped ship already, he just might suit up as an AC Milano and play for the other team. Blah. As much as I love Becks, I’m still pretty grossed out by the way he crapped out on the soccer team that not only paid him so much money but really put so much faith and hope in him. While is is great having Becks back “home” in LA, I can’t help but feel he’s still a bit of a traitor to his team. Hopefully, he’ll be hanging out at the SoCal beaches in tiny speedo swimsuits to make up for the heinous way he treated his old (and still current) soccer team.
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I’m a fan of you, Trent, and your blog but really don’t know anything about soccer. Deals like the one Becks made with AC Milan happen ALL THE TIME.
dude just wants to play real football.
He wants to play for England. He doesn’t care how he does it. He loves his country.
His quittin ass sux
I love Victoria’s dress!
He’s leaving cuz North American soccer stinks.
I’m with you, Trent. Beckham is a traitor to his team. Granted, he’s a hot traitor, but a traitor all the same. He knew exactly what the U.S. soccer scene is compared with Britain/Europe and he signed a contract and took the money – plus the position of team captain from a more deserving player – and then ran off to Italy. Meh. Over him.
That’s how soccer works Trent! Big bucks and frequent transfers. I’m not sure if you’d be saying all this if LA Galaxy was more successful, but he can’t carry the whole team and/or work miracles!
i agree with stephen colbert: soccer is sport for fourth graders that the rest of the world takes seriously :-P
Seriously, i’m a fan of your blog, but you really shouldn’t take to heart that he’s a traiter of sorts because it happens all the time in soccer other than US. Whilst he is not the best player, he is a good enough player who wants to still strive in his career. Apparently LA Galaxy can’t provide him that so how does that make him a traitor? eg if you work for a company who pays you tons but you’re just not happy there cuz of its work ethics or lack of committment to strive for excellence or you just can’t get along with the ppl there etc wouldn’t you leave if there’s a better offer in terms of opportunities?
Would you term Ronaldo a traitor too cuz he left man utd for real madrid without fulfilling his full contract? Didn’t see you get too upset bout that one… Also a good player whilst scoring plenty of goals is a plus, doesn’t necessarily means he must score a lot to become a good player. Becks is known to be great in assist n that’s as good as scoring goals~
Well that’s my point of view and hopefully you’ll be able to see why the rest of the world aren’t really perturbed by him leaving LA Galaxy…. =)
@hua — Look, it’s not really worth the argument … but … Becks signed a contract, the Galaxy did not want to let him out of his contract, he forced them to let him go with all of his clout and now he’s leaving. That’s what I call shady, traitorous. If he only wanted to play with the Galaxy for one year, he should’ve signed for one year. In the end, it’s all for the best anyways … Becks gets to leave, the Galaxy gets a lot of his millions back — and they win without him so … it’s all good.
trent you read and believe far to many newspapers! beckham needs to play football all year round…like proper footballers do. american soccer takes 5-6 months of a year. in europe the players have 4 weeks holiday and then the season starts again. a proper top level footballer can not take a 6 month break. thats why he went and played proper football in europe. here is an actual quote from becks himself on how he is NOT leaving LA:
“I have never said I was leaving. My future is here for the long-term. Before I left I sat down with all the players and told them I was not giving up on Galaxy.
“Some obviously didn’t believe me. But I’m an honest person and if I didn’t want to be here I’d say.
“Even if I do go back to Milan, or any another club on loan at the end of the season, I will be back. My family is happy here, we love living here and it’s been hard to be away from them while I was in Italy.
“So I can’t believe people question my professionalism when I have had six months away from my children.”
the world cup is next summer, he wants the chance to play one last time in the biggest football tournament in the world….and he needs to be playing proper football to do it. when he signed for the LA Galaxy playing in the world cup wasn’t even a possibility, but now because of his hard work it is. and so hes changed his plans. this happens all the time in football….something you know very little about.