Photo by ISIphotos.com
When Landon Donovan's comments bashing LA teammate David Beckham were released in excerpts from the upcoming book, "The Beckham Experiment" you just knew Beckham wouldn't be happy. Well, it didn't take long for him to respond.
Speaking to media during a charity event in California, Beckham addressed Donovan's comments, calling them extremely unprofessional.
"It's unprofessional in my eyes," Beckham said of Donovan's comments. "In every soccer player's eyes throughout the world it would be unprofessional to speak out about a teammate especially in the press and not to your face.
"But I'm going to turn it on a positive spin because that's what this needs. But in 17 years, I have played with the biggest teams in the world and the biggest players and not once have I been criticized for my professionalism. It's important to get this cleared up and I will be speaking to Landon either this evening or over the next couple of days."
Bruce Arena is going to earn every penny of his MLS-high salary as LA Galaxy head coach if he can make the Donovan-Beckham relationship work now.
Do yo think it can still work? Can Donovan and Beckham co-exist, or do you see things in LA getting ugly? Think Beckham is right? Or do you side with Donovan and believe his criticisms of Beckham to be valid?
Share your thoughts below.
Looks like Beck just ripped one in this picture.
It’s funny how Beckham feels Landon’s comments were unprofessional, yet is ok with leaving a team high and dry as the anoited Captain.
Such a douche!
Donovan acted like a child talking to sell a book and proved why he should not be captain….what captain expects to win by causing a rift between himself and the other best player on the team. He should have no qualms about giving up the armband now after this sorry display. To be fair we all know Beckham and his PR crew have had way to much influence but this is the problem for the manager management and supposed captain to adress prior to anything. Donovan, it is time to prove your a player of class and quality not someone who cannot shoulder responsibility like an adult and national team captain
landy is a wanker.
he’s bitter that he can’t make it outside the MLS in his prime, while becks can still play amongst the best in the very late years of his career.
now he sells a book – he’s gotta get paid one way or another.
landy … wanker!!
Say what you will about Donova, but he never quit on his team. Sure, he looked into transfer possibilities — what good player doesn’t? — but while he was with LA he gave his complete effort and didn’t shirk any responsibilities. Beckham sounds like he thinks he did everybody a favor just by lending his name to MLS, like a celebrity endorser. His references to “the biggest clubs in the world” show his true attitude — “Shut up, you’re lucky I’m here, 50% of me is more than you even deserve.”
he started it… no he started it… he was unprofessional… no he was unprofessional… my wife is hotter… no my wife is hotter… wwaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE RBNY – if you only win 1 more match this season, please beat the gals on thursday!
I don’t side with either. This incident reflects badly on both of them. Donovan appears unprofessional and Beckham appears condescending. I love them both on the field. But it seems like two prima donnas are at war.
I don’t side with either. But it reflects badly on both of them. LD appears unprofessional and Beckham appears condescending. I love them both on the field. But this incident makes them seem like two primadonnas at war.
Beckham is right about it being unprofessional (or whatever word he used in private) – both in saying what he did in the first place about a current teammate and also not having the balls to tell him about it before it went public. What is baffling about Donavon’s comments though is he should take a look in the mirror. He’s been trying to get out of LA himself, and the bottom line is he’s jealous of Beckham. With tantrums like this, it’s clear why Donavon is never going to make it at a bigger club – he has some talent, but a major attitude problem. As for Beckham, he has dissed the league and team, and deserves the reception he’s going to get. In his shoes though, just about anyone would have done the same.
Isn’t Beckham leaving for AC Milan after the 2009 season due to the out clause? I thought that was the “agreement”. Beckham stays at AC Milan until the end of the season … gets loaned back to the Galaxy for the remainder of the MLS season … then Becks goes to AC Milan permanently?
Whether he tanked it or not, I couldn’t say because I don’t follow the Galaxy that closely. But what he tried to pull on the Galaxy and MLS when he got to AC Milan was extremely unprofessional and I have lost a lot of respect for Beckham.
When Beckham says that he played for some of the biggest clubs and that he’s a professional, he’s basically disrespecting MLS and the Galaxy. It’s easy to be a professional when everyone on the team is as good or better than you … not so easy being a professional and leader when everyone on the team is not as good as you and do not make anywhere close to your salary.
Back in the days of Watergate, Beckham’s remarks would have been called a non-denial denial. Yeah, Donovan should have said it to his face — and he has admitted that now. Will Beckham step up and do the same, admitting that he was wrong? Unlikely, because his (mis)behavior goes to the heart of professionalism. He pulled a Manny Ramirez on the Galaxy, kicking them to the gutter when it suited his personal ambitions.
Beckham didn’t deny the main charge directly — that he stopped trying his hardest. He only said that “no one has ever accused him” of being unprofessional, which is a laugh. He also name-dropped and implied his history puts him above criticism from a lowly mls-ite. That is a d*ck move. Beckham is a whining prima donna upset that someone called him on the facts.
“Ferguson sold him to Madrid exactly because he thought Beckham was more focused on his image and Brand Beckham than he was on football (not saying it was true but Ferguson believed it and has been on record as saying it).
ManicMessiah | July 12, 2009 at 12:”
__________
Mr. messiah,
SAF did say those things but I doubt that was exactly why he sold Beckham. SAF is all about business first, second and third.
First of all they made a good profit on him. Second of all Beckham was about as good as he was going to get and SAF has always been very good at selling a player while others think he is still valuable and just when his value to Man U is about to decline. The list of star players he has done this to is too long for this post. Beckham was and remains a very good player but Man U had already moved on.
The reason the Galaxy have sucked and Beckham’s time there has been a total failure is because soccer is a team game. You can’t field a team with 2 good players and expect to win no matter how good they are.
Remember Beck’s first full season with the Galaxy? They had essentially 3 designated players, Donovan, Beckham, and Ruiz, taking up the majority of the MLS salary cap. I believe the first action I saw them play was the pre-season pan-pacific championship thing. I was actually kind of excited to watch a team with Donovan, Beckham, and Ruiz play. But when I saw the roster and realized that half of the Galaxy’s starting lineup was rookies who’s names I didn’t even recognize, I knew it wasn’t going to work.
It really has nothing to do with how good Beckham or Donovan are. You could have Messi and Ronaldo take Donovan and Beckham’s places in the 2008 Galaxy team, and they still would have sucked.
Regardless of personalities, commitment, whatever, the Beckham experiment was doomed to fail because the Galaxy wasted their MLS salary cap on too few players and didn’t have enough cap left to build out a decent rest of the team.
TEAM LANDY.
Bianca is a million times hotter than Posh.
Take his uber-famous name out of the equation and listen to it:
A player comes from Europe claiming that he wants to develop the game in the states. The player plays only a handful of games over a two year spell with the club, and decides he wants to go on loan back to Europe in the offseason to “keep his fitness up.” While in Europe, he cries to the media (solid pro move) that the quality of the league in the states isn’t up to par, and he wants to stay in Europe. The team in the states that owns his rights refuses to sell him, and when he hears, he tells the media that he never stopped following and supporting the team, and he will be excited to get back.
I don’t blame the dude for his decisions to try to play for his national team, and I certainly don’t disagree that the league isn’t on par with Italy or Spain or England… But if this quote isn’t the biggest case of the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is. No, I don’t think it was a professional move on Landon’s part to help Grant Wahl write a Beckham bashing book, but it really isn’t any more professional to retaliate in the media.
Has anyone ever thought that maybe this guy just isn’t as quality as they thought he was when they brought him here? Results don’t lie, and so far, he has absolutely zero. Send him back to Europe. He’s poison.
Posted by: D-Real | July 12, 2009 at 01:18 PM
You worded this so perfectly. Everything you said was exactly what needed to be said.
Also chupacabra made my day with that line, I hope that you really do make that banner and it makes it on to the tv broadcast.
Related question: can a Metro with a tramp stamp be a man…….Can a metro with a tramp stamp and has a BROMANCE WITH TOM CRUISE be a man?!?!?!?!??! Buck Fecks!!
“But Beckhams team were smart and saw that Liewieke and Lalas had ZERO balls.
He knew those too could be stepped on and that is what happened. Lalas and Liewike have run the Galaxy into the ground I don’t blame Beckham for wanting to leave.”
Truer words about Leiweke and Lalas — and about 19 Entertainment/Simon Fuller wanting to take over — have never been spoken.
Saying that, let me point out two things:
1. Donovan *tried* to reach out to Beckham but Beckham didn’t respond — or, at least, didn’t respond adequately enough for Donovan, who has nothing to apologize for.
2. The reputation about Beckham as “stingy” is overrated. I’ve read the book and, when he called a team meeting at a Brazilian restaurant late last season, he picked up the check. The fact that he didn’t do so at the first team meal the year he arrived indicates to me that he felt unsure of how he should act. He might have been thinking, “If I pick up the check, will teammates think I’m showing off or trying to buy their friendship?” As a man concerned w/his image, Beckham could well have been thinking along those lines.
becks is a loser.
landon shouldnt have said that stuff.
But when a douchebag like team beckham comes in and the only way you are able to communicate with him is via text message or through one of his thugs. its time to let it rip.
Becks has lost site of reality and only cares about himself and his image.
Keep making Beckham the scapegoat. Either this is all BS, or the club management should have been stronger and never let any of this get to this point. Blame the Galaxy, they are truly the ones at fault.
chupacabra, i’m lmao!
nice.
Take his uber-famous name out of the equation and listen to it:
A player comes from Europe claiming that he wants to develop the game in the states. The player plays only a handful of games over a two year spell with the club, and decides he wants to go on loan back to Europe in the offseason to “keep his fitness up.” While in Europe, he cries to the media (solid pro move) that the quality of the league in the states isn’t up to par, and he wants to stay in Europe. The team in the states that owns his rights refuses to sell him, and when he hears, he tells the media that he never stopped following and supporting the team, and he will be excited to get back.
I don’t blame the dude for his decisions to try to play for his national team, and I certainly don’t disagree that the league isn’t on par with Italy or Spain or England… But if this quote isn’t the biggest case of the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is. No, I don’t think it was a professional move on Landon’s part to help Grant Wahl write a Beckham bashing book, but it really isn’t any more professional to retaliate in the media.
Has anyone ever thought that maybe this guy just isn’t as quality as they thought he was when they brought him here? Results don’t lie, and so far, he has absolutely zero. Send him back to Europe. He’s poison.
while landon might have been unprofessional talking to a reporter.
David was unprofessional mailing in last year, and he juat came home to see the family, season over for a month.
david is out for David and no one else. he sucks and is no hero.
I do hope Arena benches Beckham, but I’m doubting he has the power to do that. It’s all about the $.
So, Landon should have talked to Beckham, but what an ugly situation anyway. Landon already apologized. Becks is a douche in terms of his treatment to MLS. Done.
Landon is right — Becks mailed it in.
Glad he called this clown out!!!!
ok,being on the england 2010 WC roster was more important than playing for the galaxy for becks.. he prolly has no clue what the names of his team mates in LA are. that being said, the Gals are playing decently and have some kind of chemistry. Becks is prolly not even match fit, and they should just bench him and use him as a sub the rest of the way. that will screw his chances for the WC. He’s not coming back in 2011. And the MLS doesnt want him back quite frankly.
I have to side with Becks. Donovan’s criticism was probably 100% correct, but speaking to a reporter about it just creates an unnecessary public conflict. It completely unprofessional, and I believe even Landon admitted as much.
Beck is a prima donna………..and DONOVAN IS THE BEST PLAYER IN USA
I agree with whoever said it was a bit hypocritical to complain about Donovan voicing his opinions to a reporter by going to a reporter.
Yawn…….
Two high-paid Narcissists in a slap fight. Turn the page and play the damn game.
The only reason no has spoke out about Beckham’s professionalism is the past 17 years is becuase no one had the balls to!
Well the execpt our boy Landon!
Sure seems like a clear example of both sides being wrong.
The fact that no one with either MLS or the Galaxy made sure that Beckham was aware of the different nature of MLS and US players (the significant salary disparity, etc.) is a bit surprising, considering how important this chance was, but that doesn’t excuse Beckham from doing his own due diligence.
And Landon – not only could he have done a better job trying to be a constructive part of that, but obviously the way he aired his complaints is, as Beckham said, unprofessional.
But at least it sounds like both sides are now aware of their own individual shortcomings in this situation and are willing to talk it through. Unless it is all media-speak….
Now I know what to put on a banner for Thursday’s match:
Palin/Beckham 2012
Quit & Run
Donovan’s right in that he should have gone to Becks first before talking to Wahl. Fine. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that BECKHAM WAS UNPROFESSIONAL! He tanked for the Galaxy, wheedled his way to AC Milan, etc. It’s not like Donovan said anything that’s untrue.
And Becks may not have been called unprofessional, but I recall he needed stitches from a flying Sir Alex Ferguson boot after SAF thought goldenballs had lost his commitment to the game.
Beckham has surrounded himself with marketing hacks who are a) more interested in his image than his football, and b) yes-men who keep Beckham insulated in a bubble and don’t tell him what he needs to hear. So it’s no surprise if he’s a little divorced from reality.
To Beckham’s credit, he’s bounced back from adversity before, most recently after Capello benched him at Madrid, so hopefully he’ll react to the slight in a positive manner. Really, the only thing he needs to do is have a private sit-down with Donovan, tell him to come straight to him instead of going to the press next time, and pledge his commitment to the Galaxy through November. If both players keep up their sides of the bargain, everybody re-emerges with reputations restored, and they go their separate ways at the end of this season.
maybe donovan will get traded to ny 🙂
If anyone has ever actually played on a team and has had teammates no matter what level… you deal with it in the locker room not to the press!
Donovan is criticizing Beckham for being unprofessional well the hypocrite just contradicted himself by acting in a very immature and unprofessional manner by tattle telling to the press about an issue with one of his teammates.
Donovan just wanted a piece of the publicity stunt.
They were both right. What Donovan said is true, Beckham cashed it last season and was going through the motions. But Beckham is right as well, you don’t criticize your teammates in the media. I’ve never been a fan of that as well. What Donovan said was right, but the manner he went about it was wrong.
Anything Donovan has to say is as gentle as a spring breeze compared to what Roy Keane had to say about “fellow professionals” on a regular basis. Beckham’s memory is, as always, conveniently selective.
I’m with Donovan on this one… Beckham made a commitment to the Galaxy and MLS (and got compensated amply for it) that he bailed on. Turning your back on your team (especially when they are struggling) is about the most unprofessional thing you can do as a player.
I side with Donovan.
Beckham tells us ad nauseum how he’s played with the best teams and best players in the world and of course they don’t criticize his professionalism…because he was professional with them.
He treated the Galaxy and his teammates like crap. He quit on the team. That’s unprofessional to the highest order and Landon was right to call him out on it.
God, how I wish Beckham had NEVER come to America and I can’t wait until he gets the hell out of here.
with LA playing the way they have- decent, but getting a point or three, i wonder if bruce will even play beckham initially. he’s got the balls to bench him. i’d love to see that, as long as LA keeps getting results. maybe it gets the other guys on the squad to play harder- bruce,”fellas, if you get the point, becks doesn’t play.” THAT’D be incentive.
oh, and becks can suck a d—. was a fan, and still think it can work, but he’s being a punk. at this point, he just dissed his captain.
Obviously 2 words Beckham is familiar with is plausible deniability. Landon better own his statements because they are dead on
Isn’t Becks being unprofessional by saying Lando unprofessional..
Becks and Landon are both right — in America we air our dirty laundry, though — sorry Becks!!!!
I found this interesting quote from Ferguson in 2007:
Ferguson said: “Beckham was never a problem until he got married.
“He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time and he was a fantastic young lad.
“But getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing and from that moment his life was never going to be the same.
“He is such a big celebrity, football is only a small part now. The big part is his persona.”
Becks is full of S@3T. He wants people to think that he is this uberprofessional and would never go get what he wants by any means. According to Grant W and Alexi Lalas he asked for the captains armband before he played a second with the galaxy. Why was his friend/advisor made an advisor to Galaxy? This advisor hired Ruud Gullit. Why was Lalas not doing that? Why did he pay his own way to play at Milan? Why did Alex Furgeson say that the model Becks was not the Becks he wanted? Becuase he is a DIVA that thinks he is better than the most and for sure better than MLS. Becks might have taken this move serious at first but it became a joke after a while. Noone has ever called this guy out for being a Diva. LD did. Maybe not the best way to do it but i think that what he said is on the money.
OK Jakie, bigtfw…
So how professional is it to milk a financially poor league, while not doing a damn thing on the field for the team, make 7mil a year while your the majority of his teammates make McDonald’s money. THEN, flee back to Europe, which saw him as a total washup, and trash MLS? How professional is that? Landon may be a little jealous, but he ain’t lying.
But I’m with Michael, this isn’t the big thing on my mind. The Red Bulls are pretty dire this season, and all I’m thinking is ‘why did they let VDB leave again?’
We need a single table league…