For millions around the world who worship and believe, today is the day of judgment. At some point in the next 24 hours, David Beckham is expected to respond to the succession of lurid allegations about his private life.
After an eighth day of fresh newspaper revelations -- more girls, more texts, more sex -- he is expected to reveal whether he intends to go to court dragging newspapers with him, or into purdah.
Yesterday followed what has become a familiar pattern for the England captain. While preparing for last night's match against Atletico Osasuna, which was watched from the stands by Mrs Beckham, he will have reflected on the latest "world exclusives" in the London-based News of The World newspaper.
There is no way of knowing in advance of his statement whether he slept with Sarah Marbeck, a barrister's daughter, after they met on a Manchester United tour in Singapore in July, 2001, or whether they traded explicit "sex texts" for more than a year. Only he can answer the claim that during the relationship he was known to Marbeck, 29, by the codename Peter Pan, that she was Tinkerbell and his wife, Wendy.
He alone knows whether he sent "raunchy" text messages to the model Esther Canadas. What will he make of last week's tormentor, his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos, who emerged once again having apparently sold her brand of text and sex to the News of the World for US$350,000? Will he care that Loos feels betrayed?
"I thought I was special to David and the only girl in the world this devoted family man would stray for," she said on Sunday.
"Now I know how wrong I was."
Amid accusations which, if true, damn him for being unfaithful to Loos, Beckham found support from the England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, whose own encounters with the News of The World evoked an unmistakable empathy. "All international players in England realize they have to live with this kind of thing," he told another newspaper. "He is very strong."
The England captain has won acclaim for his footballing prowess since his US$45.8 million move from Manchester United to Real Madrid last July.
Since the switch Beckham has undergone a transformation from being a winger with an ability to take excellent free kicks to an accomplished and respected central midfielder.
And his influence has extended from the sporting arena to literature. Last week he won a special prize at the British Book Awards for his autobiography, My Side.
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday pulled off a major upset in the DFB-Pokal by defeating defending champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in their semi-final. The third-division team came from behind after Jonathan Tah gave the visitors a 17th-minute lead. Marius Worl replied three minutes later and Maximilian Groser scored Bielefeld’s second goal just before the break. The home team looked more likely to add to that tally as the Leverkusen players looked jaded. “I’m just proud of this team,” Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat said as most of the fans the small stadium sang around him. “No one will sleep in the city tonight.” Patrik Schick went
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
RSS