David Beckham’s dream of playing in a fourth World Cup looks over after he tore an Achilles tendon in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday. Beckham was unchallenged when he suffered the injury and hobbled off in pain before being stretchered away. The 34-year-old was hoping to be part of England’s World Cup squad in June, but instead will fly to Finland on Monday for specialist surgery. “A rupture of the Achilles tendon is suspected,” said an AC Milan statement. Beckham, who is in his second loan stint with Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy, will now almost certainly not be fit for the World Cup in South Africa which starts on 11 June.

UGH! Poor Becks! There is no question that David Beckham has enjoyed a very successful career in soccer … the only thing missing is a World Cup trophy. This year’s tourney is Becks’s last chance at putting that last feather in his career cap … and now that opportunity is gone. After the jump, check out a few more pics of a very injured David Beckham and read more of this BBC report of his very untimely injury …

Consultant sports physician Dr Tom Crisp told BBC Radio 5 live: “It’s remotely possible he may be running in three months. The chances of him being fit to play for England are non-existent.” AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said that the Englishman will be out for “probably five or six months”. “I saw him and he was suffering. In the dressing room, I took him in my arms and told him that if he wanted, he will be with us next year,” said Galliani. AC Milan coach Leonardo said: “Beckham’s injury makes us feel terrible. He understood immediately that he had torn his Achilles tendon. “He is an extraordinary guy and today’s game proves it yet again. I cannot enjoy this evening considering this serious injury.” AC Milan team-mate Ignazio Abate said the England star was inconsolable. “He’s not doing well. He was in tears in the dressing room, he wasn’t saying a lot. This has affected us all,” said Abate. Former Manchester United star Beckham, England’s most capped outfield player with 115 appearances, was bidding to become the first England player to feature in four successive World Cup finals. He shares the record of three with Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton. England coach Fabio Capello spoke with Beckham on Sunday evening to offer his commiserations, according to the Press Association … Former England defender Martin Keown told BBC Radio 5 live: “Capello’s not stupid, he knew there was a role for Beckham within the squad and this is a massive blow. “He’s going to be out for six months, he needs to now look at rescuing his career and what’s left of it. “He’ll be extremely upset, without doubt. I think tonight is a very sad day for the Beckham family.” Beckham’s loan spells at AC Milan were a deliberate attempt to convince Capello of his worth in an England squad, but he was an unused substitute in the recent friendly win over Egypt and was quoted in several Sunday papers as saying he feared for his place … Sunday’s injury is the latest in a string of heartbreaking World Cup moments for Beckham. His sending off against Argentina in the quarter-finals was widely blamed for costing England their chance in France in 1998. Four years later he was not fully fit after suffering a broken metatarsal in his foot in the build-up as England went out to 10-man Brazil in the quarter-finals in Japan and South Korea. In 2006, Beckham went off injured just after half-time in the quarter-final against Portugal which England went on to lose on penalties. Beckham tearfully announced he was resigning the captaincy afterward.

I can’t even imagine how heartbreakingly painful this blow must feel to David Beckham — and I’m not talking physically. His World Cup experience seems to be utterly cursed … it’s just so sad. I love Becks and I was really looking forward to cheering him on because, despite all the lip service to the contrary in the past few months, he was going to play for England in the World Cup. It’s one thing to lose in World Cup competition but it’s another altogether to be forced to sit out completely due to an injury … fate can be so cruel sometimes.

The bright side is that Becks can be healed and rehabilitated so his soccer playing days may not be over altogether. I am very much looking forward to his return to the soccer fields of glory. We’ll be waiting for you Becks! Heal well and quickly … we love you!!!

[Source]

David Beckham was delighted with AC Milan’s victory over Atalanta. The on-loan LA Galaxy midfielder is convinced Milan can overhaul Serie A leaders Inter. Beckham said: “We won, it was important to get the three points. And everything is going well because we continue to create pressure for Inter.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah … they won … now let’s get to the shirtless photo, shall we? Check it out after the jump …

Much love goes out to the fine folks at PopSugar for procuring this lovely photo of a mostly nekkid Becks from this weekend’s soccer game. Let’s be honest, there really ain’t no other reason to blog about Becks’s soccer games unless there is a shirtless payoff. I’m not sure what he’s lookin’ for in his little soccer shorty shorts but I hope he found it … I also hope he would share but, well, that prolly won’t happen. Ah well. Keep winnin’, Becks! When you win, we all win :D

[Source, Source]

Victoria Beckham was a woman on a mission last night as she flew to Italy in a bid to cheer up husband David. Armed with their three children, the family made the two-hour journey from London to see the AC Milan footballer, who was dropped to the subs bench in a match against Bologna yesterday. Fashion designer Mrs Beckham, 35, was wearing a chic burgundy jumper, her trademark large sunglasses, and, despite reports of her painful bunions, managed to squeeze her feet into four-inch blue heels. The former singer was also wearing dark blue skinny jeans, which are from her Victoria Beckham Denim collection. The mother-of-three also accessorised with her £22,140 burgundy crocodile Hermes Birkin bag which hasn’t left her shoulder in recent weeks. While Mrs Beckham cut a glum figure when arriving at the airport, Romeo, seven, obviously hasn’t inherited his mother’s pouting genes – as he grinned at awaiting photographers. Cruz, four, clutching a Winnie the Pooh bear, cheekily pulled faces as Brooklyn, 10, showed his was too old for toys as he carried a rucksack while leading the way. The Beckham clan jumped into an awaiting car which took them to David, 35, who was commiserating after his team’s 0-0 draw. After the whistle-stop visit, Mrs Beckham will fly to New York for fashion week, where she is showcasing her AW2010 collection. The boys with stay with their father while she is away.

Awww … it’s a shame that the game was a total bust but it was very sweet of the Beckham bunch to fly to Italy to support Becks. It sounds like there will be a lot more travel in Lady Beckham’s future … can’t wait to see where she’ll wind up next.

[Source]

He’s confident enough with a football at his feet but it looks as if David Beckham is just a bit religiously-confused when it comes to his tattoos. The superstar footballer revealed a new black and white tattoo of The Man Of Sorrows by artist Matthew R. Brooks as he celebrated AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over Juventus at the Olympic Stadium in Turin. It’s the fourth image depicting Christian iconography that Beckham, 34, has had etched into his body – adding what can only be described as a multi-faith collection. The England star, who looked in great shape despite a two-month break before his return to AC Milan, already has a crucifix on the back of his neck, just above a guardian angel located between his shoulder blades and an angel on his right shoulder. His arms have since been covered with more black ink work, including stars, Japanese-influenced imagery and pin-up girl-esque women … In his autobiography Both Feet On The Ground, Beckham said of his tattoos: ‘Mine are all about the people in my life, my wife and sons, who I want to have with me always. ‘When you see me, you see the tattoos. You see an expression of how I feel about Victoria and the boys. They’re part of me.’

And now he’s got another tattoo to add as part of him. Generally, I like tattoos but it really seems like Becks is going way overboard with all these tats. Pretty soon he’s gonna run out of space on his body to get inked. But anyways … yes, Becks and his AC Milan teammates managed to pull off a win against Juventus so he was doing more than just showing off his new tattoo:

But for me the highlight of the game was when Becks decided to change his tiny soccer shorts while out on the field, stripping down to his black Emporio Armani undies right there on the soccer pitch for all the world to see. After the jump, your turn to see his strip show …

Woot!! I love this … it’s a shame Becks doesn’t change up his soccer shorts during games like this more often … that would ensure that I (and most likely many other folks) would tune in more frequently to watch him play. Congrats to Becks on his new tattoo and congrats to AC Milan on their win. What do y’all think of Becks’s new ink … do we like?

[Photo credit: Getty; Source]

As any Beckham fan should be well aware, it is his life’s mission right now to prove to the English soccer team that he is good enough to play for them in the 2010 World Cup (which will take place later on this year). It is integral that he succeeds as a member of AC Milan in order to prove to his homeland team that he is good enough to play for them … so Becks is training as hard as he can. Until he shows his prowess on the fields of glory in actual soccer games, tho, he really cannot be sure of his success. I’m pullin’ for him to make the English team … it would be a nice way for him to end his soccer career. I understand the English team might even have a chance at winning the World Cup this year. It’s not as if Becks already lives an incredibly charmed life … but a World Cup championship at the end of his career might seal that deal. Good luck, Becksie poo!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

David Beckham flew into Italy yesterday to rejoin AC Milan as Fabio Capello confirmed that if he is fit he will be in England’s World Cup squad. The England manager’s vote of confidence came as Beckham arrived by private jet for medical checks at the Milanello training ground – where he was met by an armed security guard. Beckham, 34, was at the Serie A giants for three months earlier this year but will now remain with them until the end of the season. In an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport, Capello said: ‘If Beckham plays (in Milan) and if he is fit I will certainly take him to South Africa. I don’t look at players’ ages but at their qualities. He is serious, a great professional and he is really dedicated to making the World Cup.’ Beckham’s first game in Italy is expected to be against either Genoa at home next Wednesday or away against Juventus four days later. In his interview, Capello says he is delighted the Premier League now has three Italian managers – Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Roberto Mancini at Manchester City and Gianfranco Zola at West Ham. He said: ‘It’s the result of good work at the Coverciano (Italian football training camp) school. it’s a badge of honour for our football.’ But he went on to praise football in England, saying: ‘The Premier League is the most interesting and enchanting in the world. There are particular aromas. There are full grounds, safety, beauty and a lack of stupidity. In Italy we always make the same mistakes – managing the grounds and with the violent fans. We don’t solve our problems.’

While there is a lot of talk about whether or not Becks will be chosen to play on the English Team, his focus is on playing the best soccer he can for AC Milan in order to ensure that he is chosen to play for England. After the jump, check out a few photos of Becks engaged in a training session with his Milan teammates yesterday …

It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that we saw Becks in his AC Milan black and red uniform … and here he is again. Because he is committed to returning to play with the LA Galaxy next Summer, I’m very happy to support Becks’s association with AC Milan and I am rooting for him to make the English Team so that he can play for his country in the World Cup. His glory days are quickly passing him by and this will, most likely, be his last chance to play in the World Cup. It would be a fantastic feather in the cap of his career if he could help England win the World Cup, wouldn’t it? Ah, but first things first … keep on training, Becks. We’ll see how far you can take this quest of yours.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin; Source]

We were so far from all the drama last night that we saw none of it. Our section (very near the Beckham family box) was really fun, everyone enjoyed the game. There were a lot of Milanos in the hiz … ’twas very fun. Much, much love goes out to my friends Aly and Alexis for passing their tickets over to me … they couldn’t attend and very generously gave them to me. I love them dearly!!!

This afternoon, I’ll be at the VW service shop for scheduled maintenance on my car. It’s gonna be a long afternoon … I’m hoping to catch Harry Potter tonight. I need to see that movie already!

As homecomings go, David Beckham’s return to Carson on Sunday to join the Galaxy for an exhibition game against AC Milan was the exact opposite of the Manny Ramirez lovefest that broke out at Dodger Stadium last week. It started out nasty and took a turn toward ugly as the teams left the field at halftime of what would become a 2-2 tie against the team Beckham played for last season and hopes to play for again next season. Incensed at remarks hurled at him by fans sitting in a corner of the Home Depot Center, Beckham approached them to urge them to calm down. One hurdled the barrier separating the stands from the end zone and was escorted away by security officers. “One of them jumps over to shake my hand,” he said, “but maybe not.” Definitely not. “They were saying things that really weren’t very nice,” Beckham said. “There’s always going to be a certain reaction. The majority of fans here wanted to watch the game and the great players and I think they enjoyed themselves.” Beckham got some payback in the 64th minute, when he took a corner kick in front of his most virulent critics in the so-called “Riot Squad” and watched as teammate Bryan Jordan headed the ball home. He turned to the fans to share his glee, even if they wanted no part of it. “I’m not disappointed because it doesn’t affect me,” he said of the boos. “At the end of the day you can’t be liked by everybody.” Beckham was taken out in the 75th minute after a strong performance. He finally tipped the jeers/cheers meter in his favor, but he will be a polarizing figure as long as he’s here, an obligation that lasts at least through the MLS season. This was supposed to be a friendly game, but the fans’ venom toward Beckham became the overriding story. Landon Donovan, restored to the captaincy he was forced to relinquish to Beckham in 2007, said he expected the story to change. “If he keeps playing like that, I’m sure people are going to be behind him,” Donovan said. And maybe not entirely. Not to justify the actions of morons who cross the line to insulting players’ families and other obscenities, it’s clear you can’t fool the soccer faithful. Fans here know Beckham was so intent on not coming back to the Galaxy that he reportedly paid $3 million to ensure his loan to AC Milan was extended four months past his original March 9 MLS return. Many Galaxy fans see the multi-tattooed Englishman as an over-the-hill, overpaid superstar who condescends to play once in a while, when he’s not counting the royalties on his jersey sales. They’re not entirely wrong, though injuries limited him to five games in 2007. On Sunday, they let him know how they felt in no uncertain terms.

I have to say, I’m pretty sure Becks has endured worse from rabid soccer fans in Europe … but in all honesty, what did he expect? Yes, there are some fans who will support and cheer for him no matter what he does but you cannot really fault the other fans who feel he betrayed them and, in all honesty, has done very little to actually help the team win games. To give another perspective, since I was in attendance at last night’s game, there was another contingency of LA Galaxy fans called the Angel City Brigade who were cheering for Becks and the Galaxy. On the side of the stadium where I was, there were NO boos at all for Becks thruout the entire game. After the jump, check out some pics of Becks in action during last night’s game along with some deets about the game itself …

[A]mid the jeers, Beckham played a role in both Galaxy goals. After Thiago Silva gave Milan a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, the Galaxy equalized in the 30th through Alan Gordon, set up by Landon Donovan after a cross from Beckham. Milan went ahead again in the 61st, when Filippo Inzaghi timed a run perfectly into the area to score. The Galaxy responded again, earning a corner kick in the 65th minute. Beckham, who stayed in the match amid a string of Galaxy halftime substitutions, walked deliberately over to take the corner kick, near the fan section that had given him the most grief. His sent a precise kick into the area and Bryan Jordan headed it in to knot the score at 2-2, after which Beckham turned and faced his critics. Beckham left the game in the 75th minute, waving to a group of supportive fans en route to the bench. “The cheers in the end drowned out the boos, which was nice,” Beckham said. After spending an impressive second half of last season with AC Milan, Beckham returned to the Galaxy in Thursday’s 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls, his first match since the end of the Serie A campaign.

While I, too, am still miffed at the way that Becks appears to be treating his Galaxy team, I have to admit that he played well last night and did contribute to both Galaxy goals. For me, it’s easier to love him rather than hate him … that doesn’t mean I won’t be critical but, in the end, I’m still a fan. Becks did have some genuine fans in the hiz last night … here are a few pics of wife Victoria Beckham (looking a lot less shiny), his son Romeo Beckham (taking a page from daddy’s style book) and BFF Tom Cruise watching the game from their luxury box seats:

All in all … it was a great game. When teams tie, everyone wins … even the pissy Galaxy fans have to be happy that their team held their own against one of the greatest fútbol clubs in the world. Will the fans ever warm up to Becks again? I guess it depends on how he treats them from here on out … we’ll just have to wait and see.

UPDATE: Here is video of Becks’s confrontation with that angry fan:

If you wanted to find David Beckham on Monday, then the fashionable Via Poerio Carlo in Milan was the place to look. There, in the altogether appropriate setting of Dolce and Gabbana’s oh-so-very-ritzy Gold restaurant, Beckham dined with several other international soccer celebrities while mulling his latest coup. The England international star apparently has settled the contractual tug-of-war between the Galaxy, which owns him, and AC Milan, which wants him, by grabbing both ends of the rope. It will cost him a little bit, but he has gotten his way. In an unusual agreement that will be finalized this week — possibly today — Beckham will remain with the Serie A club until the end of the Italian season May 31 and then rejoin the Galaxy in mid-July, staying for the rest of the Major League Soccer season. After that, Beckham will exercise the buyout clause in his five-year, $32.5-million contract with MLS and bid the Galaxy and the league adieu before rejoining AC Milan. In effect, Beckham has cast his lot with the Italian club and is being “loaned” back to Los Angeles for four months. Complicated? Sure, but for Beckham it is the best of both worlds. First, he can continue playing at a high level with AC Milan as it seeks to finish in the top three in Serie A and thereby qualify for next season’s lucrative European Champions League. The team is currently in third place behind Inter Milan and Juventus. Second, staying with Milan for another dozen league matches will significantly help Beckham’s chances of remaining on the England national team as it tries to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Playing in a fourth World Cup has long been a priority for Beckham, who played for England in the 1998 cup and then helped England reach the quarterfinals at Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006. England Coach Fabio Capello has said Beckham, who will turn 34 in May, needs to play regularly and at a high level to be considered for the team. England has six World Cup qualifying games and three friendly matches on its schedule for the rest of 2009. Third, by returning to Los Angeles, even if it is for less than half a season, Beckham will fulfill his promise of coming back to the Galaxy, something he said he would do when he engineered a short-term loan to AC Milan in December. Just what the reaction of Galaxy fans will be remains an interesting point of conjecture. The agreement was hammered out during weeks of negotiating amid a flurry of disinformation leaked to the media on both sides of the Atlantic. It appears to save face for all concerned. Although financial details of the deal have not been revealed, it is said to involve more than the $10 million to $15 million that the Galaxy and MLS were seeking for allowing Beckham to leave on a permanent basis. Part of the money will come from AC Milan as payment for the extended loan, with a further payment coming at the time of the eventual transfer. Milan’s total is more than the $3 million the club initially was offering. A larger amount will come from Beckham himself as compensation for leaving MLS with two years remaining on his contract. On Monday, only the fine points of the agreement remained to be ironed out. All parties — the Galaxy, AC Milan, Galaxy owner AEG, MLS and Beckham himself — supposedly were satisfied. Beckham was to have rejoined the Galaxy next Monday but now will stay with AC Milan through May 31. After that, he hopes to be called up for England’s World Cup qualifying matches on the road against Kazakhstan on June 6 and at home against Andorra on June 10. He can then take a brief break because he cannot join the Galaxy until the MLS international transfer window opens July 15, although he can train with the team before that date. The bottom line for the Galaxy is that Beckham would miss the first 17 games of the 30-game season. His first match for Los Angeles would be July 18 at the New York Red Bulls. On the surface, the Galaxy would appear to be getting very little out of the settlement. But there are benefits. Beckham’s $6.5-million salary will not count against the salary cap until he returns, nor will he count against the 24-player roster limit. That means Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena is free to use the money saved and the position opened to sign another player. Also, with Beckham — or Beckham-lite — back for part of the season, the Galaxy and AEG will be able to keep key sponsors satisfied and, just perhaps, revive flagging season ticket sales. For Beckham, meanwhile, the jet-set lifestyle will continue. His next match is Wednesday night — not in Milan, not in Los Angeles, but in Doha, Qatar, where AC Milan is playing a money-spinning friendly against the Qatari club Al Sadd.

Blah! All this whiny dramatic bullshizz on David Beckham’s part has really soured me on him as an athlete. His whole attitude about his multi-million dollar contract with the LA Galaxy strikes me as so unprofessional that I cannot even look at him in the same way anymore. While I seem to be the only person in the entire US of A who even cares about Beckham playing for the LA Galaxy (I understand the local sports press here in SoCal is glad to be rid of him), I can’t help but feel some disappointment in knowing that he is not a man who seems willing to fulfill his obligations to a team that has invested so much in him. I suppose the LA Galaxy honchos are to be blamed for loaning him out in the first place … then again, they prolly counted on Becks actually honoring his agreement with them to return after his 2-month loan out. At this point, I think AC Milan should keep him and should enjoy having him as much as they can … honestly, he doesn’t even really want to be with them anyway. His real goal appears to get back in favor with the English team that expunged him for his lackluster performance with them. Ever since then, he’s been trying to weasel his way back into leading the English team. Overall, I can’t say that I blame him for wanting to play for his beloved home team but I personally feel that it would be more honorable, more professional for him to fulfill his commitments to his new teams before jumping ship when the going gets tough. I guess he’s Milan’s problem now … and I wish them all the luck in the world.

[Source]

David Beckham’s AC Milan capped a disappointing week with a 2-1 defeat at Sampdoria which leaves them 11 points adrift of arch-rivals Inter in the Serie A title race and looking over their shoulders as they bid to seal a Champions League spot. Milan’s ageing team threw away a two-goal lead in midweek to crash out of the UEFA Cup to Werder Bremen and their latest defeat came after Antonio Cassano gave the Genoa-based side the lead in the 33rd minute. Cassano’s header was ruled to have squeezed over the line as Milan protested and the visitors were in further trouble after Gianpaolo Pazzini made it 2-0 early in the second half from a Cassano pass. Alexandre Pato scored with a clever header in the 80th minute to give Milan some hope they were unable to grab the equalizer as Emerson’s effort was ruled out. The poor results represent bad timing for Beckham, who is hoping his newly-adopted club will meet Los Angeles Galaxy’s demands to make his loan move permanent. He is due to return to the Major League Soccer team on March 9 if no deal can be reached.

Aww … poor Becks, another loss. Since we know that the LA Galaxy has, thus far, rejected the money that AC Milan has offered to buy out his contract and that Milan has said they will offer no more money in addition, Becks is scheduled to return to SoCal and the MLS at the end of this week. I’m sure this loss doesn’t really work in his favor. But, again, he did play his heart out, doing everything he could do to try and secure a win. After the jump, check out a few photos of Becks in the black and red in action this week …

That’s a pretty big tumble that he took … flying thru the air with the greatest of ease … I’m glad to know that he didn’t get hurt … cuz, the last time he came to the MLS after playing in Europe, he got hurt and then had to sit out half of the season (which kinda makes you wonder why everyone is clamoring over one another to add him to their roster). I do hope that Becks has a great week with AC Milan and that he is able to play his heart out … but I’m pretty sure the LA Galaxy would like him back in one piece.

[Source]