David Beckham has asthma

David Beckham has asthma, his agent Simon Oliveira told the Daily Mail today.

In Sunday's MLS final, the Galaxy star was photographed using an inhaler. Oliveira said that Beckham has suffered from a mild form of asthma since childhood.

"He has never sought to make it public, but if it does inspire any sufferer to think they can achieve great things like many other sportsmen have done, then so much the better," Oliveira said.

Beckham and the Galaxy lost to Real Salt Lake on penalty kicks.

Beckham played the game after getting pain-killing injections on his bruised right ankle, though the English star said the medication wore off after about 15 minutes.

-- Barry Stavro

Photo: David Beckham directs Galaxy traffic during the MLS Cup final on Sunday. Credit: Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

David Beckham's AC Milan teammate Oguchi Onyewu pays Galaxy a visit

One surprise visitor to the Galaxy locker room after Sunday night's 1-0 Major League Soccer playoff victory over Chivas USA was U.S. national team defender Oguchi Onyewu.

The 27-year-old, sporting a brace on his left leg and propping himself up with a crutch after surgery on a ruptured tendon suffered Oct. 14 in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica, was otherwise in good spirits as he chatted with future AC Milan teammate David Beckham and several other Galaxy players.

How soon will Onyewu be back on the field?

"As soon as I can, without any complications," he said. "The surgery went well. Dr. Bert Mandelbaum did a great job. Right now I'm 2 1/2 weeks out and feeling a lot better every day.

"I'm starting my rehab here in L.A. and taking it slowly until I can be more mobile and perhaps continue it elsewhere," Onyewu said.

Onyewu said he is determined to get back in time to play at the World Cup in South Africa, but the time line for his return is uncertain.

"It's anywhere from three to six months," he said. "I'm trying to get back as soon as possible but knowing that I'm not trying to rush it because I'm trying to do it right the first time without having to backtrack.

"I'm anticipating definitely being back this season. Don't count me out for the World Cup."

And is he looking forward to playing with Beckham after the Galaxy midfielder rejoins AC Milan in January?

"I'm looking forward to playing, period," Onyewu said.

-- Grahame L. Jones

David Beckham earned $16.5 million from sponsorships deals in '08

The Galaxy's David Beckham earned about $16.5 million last year from various sponsorship deals, according to British company registry figures.

Beckham's Footwork Productions last year saw its income rise 91% from 2007 and it accounts for about two-thirds of the soccer star's sponsorship deals, according to the Associated Press.

Beckham, 34, earns $6.5 million a year from his Los Angeles Galaxy contract, which is not part of his sponsorship income. (Beckham paid an undisclosed sum to arrange his loan from the Galaxy to AC Milan for five months earlier this year.)

Beckham and the Galaxy anounced Monday that he would again return to AC Milan during the winter for the opportunity to win a spot on England's roster for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The plan calls for Beckham to return to the Galaxy in the summer after the World Cup ends.

-- Barry Stavro

Photo: David Beckham. Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press

 

Beckham's return to AC Milan is 'practically 100% certain,' Galliani says

The seemingly interminable saga of David Beckham's return on loan to AC Milan edged one step closer to reality today when Adriano Galliani, the Italian team's chief executive, said an agreement with the Galaxy had been reached.

"A great player will arrive," Galliani told the Sky Italia television network. "His first name is David. His last name is Beckham. It's practically 100% certain. What's missing is the signatures, but there is total agreement."

Beckham spent six months on loan to the Serie A club after the end of the 2008 Major League Soccer season and wants to repeat the arrangement in order to stay in the running for a place on England's 2010 World Cup team.

The English midfielder would stay with the Galaxy through the MLS playoffs, which begin Thursday and end with the MLS Cup in Seattle on Nov. 22. He likely would join AC Milan in January.

The Galaxy and its owner, AEG, had no immediate comment today on Galliani's remarks.

-- Grahame L. Jones

Photo: David Beckham controls the ball during a match with AC Milan in March. Credit: Giuseppe / AFP/Getty Images

David Beckham is headed to AC Milan and, very likely, to the World Cup

David Beckham flew back to Los Angeles from England today, but it won't be long before the Galaxy star is airborne again.

According to Adriano Galliani, the chief executive of AC Milan, Beckham's proposed move to the Serie A team is locked in stone and the English midfielder will rejoin the Italian club for a second spell in the New Year.

"David Beckham's return on loan in January is already a done deal," Galliani told Sky Sport Italia today.

Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf told England's Telegraph newspaper that Beckham would be more than welcome.

"He is a player who has already given an important contribution to Milan and I am convinced that he would continue to do so if he returns to Milan," Seedorf said.

Meanwhile, it appears that Beckham is going to fulfill his wish of playing in a fourth World Cup after his cameo performance in England's 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Belarus on Wednesday drew glowing reviews from England Coach Fabio Capello.

Hot air in cold London as Leiweke speaks of Beckham and the World Cup

So, Tim Leiweke went to London to speak at a sports conference and left his notes back home in Los Angeles.

Is that what happened?

It sure seems so, judging by the remarks AEG's chief executive is reported to have made today at the Leaders in Football conference in England.

Playing to his audience, Leiweke lavished praise on David Beckham and said the Galaxy would be "honored" to again loan him to AC Milan and that the midfielder would stay on loan until the end of the European season in May, after which he would presumably join England's World Cup squad.

"We want to make sure he fulfills that dream," Leieweke said.

Nothing new there. That was always going to be Beckham's move.

Leiweke also told reporters that "we're not going to give him much time off this time -- he's going to have to earn his keep."

But AEG, Leieweke and the Galaxy have no choice in the matter. Players are entitled to time off after playing in international tournaments, so it will be at least two weeks after England's World Cup exit that Beckham would return to L.A., which could make it the last week in July if England gets to the July 11 final.

Galaxy looking to finalize Beckham's loan deal to AC Milan

As they prepare for their first MLS playoff appearance in four years, the Galaxy want to finalize plans for David Beckham's expected loan to AC Milan.

"We want to get it done, for him and for us, and I don't want any confusion," Anschutz Entertainment Group CEO Tim Leiweke told the Associated Press on Thursday.

Leiweke also wants the team to figure out what Landon Donovan's plans are for next season.

"There is a lot of rumors of whether he is staying or going," Leiweke said. "We're going to clear that up in the next two weeks because we want the team to be focused."

Beckham wants to rejoin AC Milan in January. His loan to the team could help him stay on England's World Cup team.

Still, the Galaxy aren't planning to cut Beckham much slack once England's participation in the World Cup is over.

"We're not going to give him as much time off this time," said Leiweke, referring to Beckham's break between playing for AC Milan and the Galaxy last summer."He's going to have to earn his keep."

The Galaxy, who are tied with Houston for first place in the Western Conference, are among the favorites to win what would be the franchise's third MLS Cup in November.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: David Beckham trains with England's national team on Oct. 6. Credit: Michael Regan / Getty Images

Can David Beckham save Leonardo and AC Milan or is it already too late?

Things are not going well for AC Milan and that could throw a curve ball David Beckham's way as the Galaxy midfielder contemplates his proposed return to the Italian team.

The Serie A season has started out disastrously for Milan, which languishes in 11th place in the standings, has a feeble 2-2-2 record and has scored only three goals.

The team's European Champions League campaign is off to an equally rocky start. It did well to earn a 2-1 win on the road against Olympique Marseille, but this week, almost unthinkably, it lost, 1-0, at home to Swiss nobodies FC Zurich.

The Italian media has jumped on the Rossoneri and already there is widespread speculation that first-year Coach Leonardo will soon be shown the door. One newspaper, Il Corriere dello Sport, claimed that Milan officials already have met with former Milan and Dutch national team standout Marco Van Basten about taking over from Leonardo, a claim subsequently denied by Van Basten's agent.

Leonardo is remaining defiant.

"I've taken this job and I'm doing what I believe," he said." No one put a gun to my head to take the role. We move forward. If we lose, we lose."

Injured Beckham's absence 'not the end of the world,' Arena says

The Galaxy made it official today, announcing in Columbus, Ohio, that David Beckham is injured and will not play in Saturday afternoon's Major League Soccer match against the defending MLS champion Crew.

This is what the Galaxy -- not to mention Crew fans -- will be missing.

On Thursday, the Galaxy declined to comment when Beckham was not aboard the team's flight to Ohio. A Beckham spokesman, however, said the English midfielder had an Achilles tendon injury and that no decision would be made until after Beckham was reevaluated this morning.

Bruce Arena, the Galaxy's coach and general manager, said at the news conference in Columbus today that "it was a 50-50 thing" whether Beckham would travel and that "we decided to use better judgment and give him this game off."

Beckham has scored two goals and assisted on three others in his eight games this season since rejoining the Galaxy in July after his loan stint with AC Milan in Italy. Arena shrugged off Beckham's absence.

"He's missed about 18 to 20 games for us this year, so it's not the end of the world," Arena said. "This is all part of it. Teams miss players throughout the season, whether it's [due to] injuries or suspensions or other reasons. We've learned to play a lot of games without him and we're going to play another one.

"It [the Achilles problem] is something that David always has an issue with. I expect him to be back next week" for the Oct. 2 home game against the Chicago Fire.

-- Grahame L. Jones

Photo: David Beckham wins a high ball over Julian de Guzman on September 19 in Carson. Photo credit: Victor Decolongon / Getty Images.

Injured Beckham might miss Saturday's Galaxy game in Columbus (updated)

David Beckham

did not travel with the Galaxy when it left for Columbus today and is likely to miss Saturday afternoon's game against the Crew in Ohio.

A spokesman for the English midfielder said Beckham had taken "a knock on his Achilles" tendon and was receiving treatment for the injury, which he described as minor.

The player will be evaluated on Friday, the spokesman said, after which a decision will be made on whether Beckham will fly to join the team in Columbus.

The midfielder turned in the best performance of his Major League Soccer career last Saturday, scoring one goal and creating the other in a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC in Carson.

The Galaxy has declined comment. Coach Bruce Arena will address the matter in Columbus on Friday, a team spokesman said.

Beckham made only a token appearance when the Galaxy took part in a bowling event on Tuesday evening  and has not trained fully with the team this week.

He is not listed on the MLS injury list, but that list will be updated Friday ahead of the weekend's games.

-- Grahame L. Jones

Photo: David Beckham. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press