David Beckham came out fighting yesterday after his Real Madrid sucker-punch at the weekend, with Major League Soccer (MLS) heavyweights, representatives from his new club and even Rambo ready and willing to fight his corner.
Sylvester Stallone, in the UK to promote Rocky Balboa, watched Everton’s match against Reading at Goodison Park yesterday and put his weight behind Beckham’s American dream. “He will bring a tremendous amount of interest and supporters to the sport,” the actor and film director said. “Twenty per cent of America is Latino and the thing they live for is soccer. With Beckham there it will take off. I’ve not met him, but I might put him in Rambo and chase him around the jungle for a couple of months.”

 
 
The possibility of Beckham having a couple of months to spare reared its head at the weekend when Fabio Capello, the Real coach, said that he would not pick the former England captain again. However, Capello had to defend himself from accusations of double standards last night, a charge that relates to his previous stint as Real coach when, in 1997, he announced during the season that he would leave the Spanish club to join AC Milan. But Capello said: “It was different. Beckham agreed a contract with another club, whose season starts before our one ends, without talking to us first.”

Ramón Calderón, the Real president, said in a further dig: “I consider that the elite of football play in Europe. When a player goes to America, that is not the same level.”

But Beckham yesterday received the support of US football authorities and his new club. Stephen Rodriguez, the MLS spokesman, believes that the Los Angeles Galaxy will look to take Beckham to LA before his scheduled July arrival. “I’m sure Alexi (Lalas, the Galaxy general manager) or Frank Yallop (the head coach) will try to bring him over as quickly as possible. If it were just a case of buying out his contract, then, absolutely, they would do it.”

Yallop said: “We have to wait and see what the details of his Real Madrid contract are — and if can he get out of it.”

“Getting him out of it” will cost money. Real’s gripe seems to be that while Beckham is set to rake in $250 million (about £128 million), they will not see a cent for his departure.

In light of that, it is doubtful that Real will send him packing early. More likely is that the 31-year-old will survive beyond Capello. The Italian’s second spell in the Spanish capital has brought more defeats than were suffered in his first season at the club. But it remains more probable that the Galaxy will negotiate Beckham’s departure ahead of schedule, giving the Spanish club what will amount to a transfer fee for the midfield player. If that happens, Capello will be in part vindicated. For now, his decision to cast out Beckham has been simply ridiculed.

Players’ interviews that were published yesterday morning but carried out before Capello’s comments confirmed that the rest of the squad had no idea that Beckham was to be frozen out. Raúl, the club captain, said: “David has been a great team-mate and a great professional who has always given his best. Let’s enjoy the last six months of his time here with us.”