Becks to AC Milan
It's the story that's exploding everywhere, and there are so many sources (all saying pretty much the same thing; there's limited information available) I can't possibly give you them all.

The nub: the ongoing rumor about David training in Milan during the off-season has become a rumor about David being loaned to AC Milan for the off-season...which has now become a rumor about David's contract with Galaxy being bought out by Milan, and him signing with the team permanently.

Adriano Galliani, VP of AC Milan, made statements that Becks specifically chose the club and that their present goal is to sign him on loan from the Galaxy for 4 months starting January. In lieu of simply training, Becks would get competitive play (including UEFA Cup play), making him more eligible for continued participation in the England squad.

"We'll sign him for a few months and then he'll go back," Galliani said. AC Milan's coach Carlo Ancelotti said having David in the team "[...] will be a pleasure. Beckham is a serious athlete, a great professional. If he'll be available for four months with us, we'll be very happy."

I have to stress this is unconfirmed, there is no hard evidence that he is being bought by Milan. It's being reported that David has not yet committed to the deal. The only article that firmly states anyone has confirmed is a piece from the AFP that declares AC Milan have confirmed the 4 month loan deal. It's something we must follow and I think it's worth discussing in the forum, so if you have something to say about this hop over there and make your voice heard!

We'll keep you updated when there are updates in this ever-developing story.

Here are two sources for the story as it stands...Associated Press, ESPN.


DBFO Poll: Should Becks go to Milan?
We'd like to know what you think - should David head to Milan permanently, for a loan deal, or should he stay in LA? We have a poll going in our forum, so please take a moment to visit & vote.


Brand Beckham on the move?
Here's a piece from ESPN about the financial motives behind a move to AC Milan.

Excerpts:

But questions have already been raised as to the motives behind the move. The world's most marketable player turning up at a club struggling financially? Another big-name player signed to appease fans who did not see a trophy last term, have not won Serie A since 2004 and missed out on Champions League football this season? At least for the player it is easy to understand why he would be keen on the switch.

and

Massimo Ambrosini may not give up the #23 easily), while the prospect of having a footballing fashion icon complete with celebrity wife dropping into the one of the world's most fashion-conscious cities can only increase the fervour surrounding his arrival.

It is no secret that Milan have been struggling financially in recent years and Beckham's arrival would certainly help the club out of the red. The signing of Ronaldinho was seen by many as an attempt to boost their commercial standing, but Beckham (who reportedly made Real Madrid around $600 million in his four years at the club) is in a league of his own in this respect.

Continue reading here...


Beckham to AC Milan: Good or bad idea?
Here's an opinion piece by Carlo Garganese that raises questions about a potential AC Milan move. It questions David's current form, whether he'd be brought in for financial reasons, and how he'd fit into the team. If you want some food for thought or want to share your own thoughts on Goal.com, check out this piece.


Villa's Laursen backs Becks' AC Milan switch
And so it's begun: footballers and management are giving their $.02 about the AC Milan rumors. You can expect a lot more of this as reporters inevitably ask everyone their opinion in press conferences.

Laursen, who won the Champions League during a three-year spell with Milan before joining Villa, said: "I think David Beckham is still a very good player. He stills feels fit and he has got ambitions to play for England.

"He is a player that really loves his football and he wants to play as long as he can. I am sure he loves his country, is proud of playing for England and, for me, the move to AC Milan is not that big a surprise if he wants to come back to Europe and play.

"AC Milan is a club that can bring in these big names. We have seen that before with Ronaldinho and Ronaldo and, when I was there, Rivaldo came.

"I can mention so many big, big names. They have the money to do that and Beckham is still a very good footballer and I am sure he is going to do fine.''

Read much more here.


David Beckham factfile
Is all the confusion of gossip causing you to forget the facts? If you need a refresher on the timeline of significant (and a few not-so-significant) events in David's life, check out this fantastic (and possibly ongoing) factfile at The Independent. It's worth bookmarking!


Becks Honors Sir Bobby Charlton
In the jumble of stories about robberies, bad accents, karaoke, England play, Galaxy disappointments, and of course the Milan speculation, I overlooked a very nice piece about David's acknowledgement of the honor of surpassing Bobby Charlton's cap record.

So even though it's a week old, I'm sharing it with you now. Better late than never!

David Beckham celebrated overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton to become England's third most capped player by paying tribute to the influence the Manchester United and England legend has had on his career.

"Without a doubt it means a lot," Beckham said after winning his 107th cap—one more than Charlton managed—with an appearance as a late substitute in the 3-1 win over Belarus here on Wednesday.

"Sir Bobby Charlton was a hero of my dad's and also of mine. I went to his soccer school when I was a boy. With him being a Manchester United legend I'm very honoured to be above him in the list and as close to him as I am."

Read more


David Golfs for Charity
On Monday David jumped into the fray on the golf course for the LA Galaxy Foundation, the charitable arm of the Galaxy organization. The outing was held at the Industry Hills Golf Course at the Pacific Palms resort.



New Gallery!
We have a new gallery here at DBFO: Becks's Bentley. Check out photos of David & his customized car that's presently for sale.

Labels: ac milan, bobby charlton, charity, david beckham, david beckham photos, golf, la galaxy, milan, record, rumor, training

(source) Thanks to Laurance for providing this Yahoo article, I had come across a few stories already mentioning this but hesitated to post it here as they all seem "gossip" sources.

One would think that if yahoo posts it, then it adds a bit of credibility - However I just saw that Victoria's Rep denies the claims. "There was no car crash," Cheryl Maisel told the New York Daily News "David and Victoria Beckham were driving a car that had been scratched the day before when it had been left parked at the airport - they were not involved in any accident at all. There was no police, no crash, no paparazzi chase, etc. - just very incorrect reports via Internet gossip sites," she said.

The Original story posted on several dozen sites today was:

David and Vitoria were on their way to the airport of Nice so that David could catch his flight to China last Friday August 22nd, the car hit a security rail on the highway, making the windshield of the black BMW they were driving explode in pieces and smashing the side of the car pretty well. Thankfully no one was hurt but Victoria was understandably shook up.
David was late to catch his flight so he had to run to the airport and leaving Victoria in shock in the car, not before kissing her goodbye and comforting her.

More Olympics pictures

Little update on the pictures side, I just added 28 new pictures to the Olympic album here. Some of these new ones are nice pictures so you might want to check them out of you already checked this album previously.

Labels: accident, car crash, david beckham, rumor, victoria beckham