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Hoddle: Beckham is deeply hurt
Posted: Wednesday July 01, 1998 11:31 AM
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Beckham has not spoken to the press since getting the red card (AP) |
ESCOUBLAC (Reuters) -- David Beckham was deeply hurt over Tuesday's sending
off against Argentina,
but should not be made a scapegoat for England's
dramatic World Cup exit, coach Glenn Hoddle said on Wednesday.
The Manchester United midfielder needed support and understanding, the
England chief said.
"He is very down," he told reporters. "We've not talked [fully] yet, but we
will before we leave our camp here. We spoke very briefly, but not at any
length and we need to talk again."
Beckham had indicated his sorrow after the match but had not been able to
talk. "He was hurt, he just couldn't talk," Hoddle said. "It was a dart
that went in very deep for him."
Beckham, 23, is engaged to Spice Girls pop singer Victoria Adams who was at
the match. She watched as her fiancee was sent off after 47 minutes for
kicking the Argentine captain Diego Simeone in an incident which changed
the course of the game.
The score was 2-2 with England attacking strongly when he was dismissed,
leaving his 10 teammates to play a defensive game which eventually went to
extra time and a penalty shootout which Argentina won 4-3.
Hoddle said: "It was not a sending-off offense. It was not violent conduct
and I don't think it deserved any more than a yellow card. If he had stayed
on and we had 11 against 11, I believe we would have won.
"But David has to learn from this and be positive and become a better
player as a result. We don't need to go overboard. It is not the time for
blaming people.
"I think Dennis Bergkamp did something more violent the night before and he
got away with it or the officials chose not to see it."
Hoddle added: "He reacted in a foolish way and I hope he has learned not to
do it again. But he has a wonderful talent and he is 23 and he has a great
future ahead of him.
"Why do we need a scapegoat for this? He gave a fantastic performance
against Colombia and
out there. You cannot just forget that. And try and convince me that what
he did was violent conduct."
The coach said: "It should have been a yellow card and it would have been a
very different story now. It will be very sad if people react against him,
especially the crowds.
"I hope people will stop and think about all the good things and all his
good games. I think he is a strong character and he will bounce back from
this. He can take it on the chin.
"And if he does learn from it, he can help to eliminate all the little
things which may have interfered with him on the football side of things."
Beckham was visibly upset when he left the stadium on Tuesday night, a
baseball cap pulled down tight over his trademark bleached hair -- cut in a
style to match that of his fiancee.
He was expected to leave France with the
rest of the England squad later on Wednesday, flying by Concorde to
Heathrow.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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