Beckham booed by fans

David Beckham received a rocky reception from disgruntled Galaxy fans in his return to Los Angeles yesterday as his Major League Soccer club played to a 2-2 draw with his recent Italian club AC Milan. The English star, who missed the first half of the MLS season while on loan to AC Milan, was booed during introductions and again on his first several touches of the ball. Leaving the pitch at halftime he approached a section of stands where anti-Beckham banners were displayed and appeared to shout something.

A fan jumped down and was restrained by security personnel and escorted off the pitch. "One of the guys was saying things that wasn't very nice. It was stepping over the line," Beckham said. "I said, 'You need to calm down and come shake my hand', and he jumped over." But Beckham insisted the fan reaction did not bother him. "It doesn't affect me," he said. "You can't be liked by everyone." AC Milan manager Leonardo indicated he thought the fans were unfair, and if some Galaxy supporters do not want Beckham, he said he would be glad to have him back at AC Milan.

"Sometimes the supporters don't understand the situation," Leonardo said. "We would be happy if he came back because he did really well. He's incredible," he added. "The precision he has is something very, very special. He never missed the ball. "He controlled the ball. The way the Galaxy plays is very, very important. They see that every ball begins with him." * AFP