I don't need to say sorry

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA hard man Aldo Duscher today refused to apologise for his horror tackle on David Beckham.

The Argentine midfielder, who has a reputation as a hatchet man in Spain where he is known as 'Hard head', said: "I did not speak to Beckham and I don't need to speak to him.

"Why should I? If this happened to a player from Deportivo then nobody from Manchester United would speak to him. It is not necessary to talk to him.

"Just because it is David Beckham and because he is a great player, everything is bigger. Journalists and the public give too much importance to the things that happen around him.

"I wish Beckham is healthy for the World Cup.

I hope that he can be fit to play in the tournament.

"What happened was unfortunate. I can honestly say I went for the ball."

Last night's X-rated tackle follows another poor challenge in last week's first leg in Spain from Diego Tristan that also left Beckham in agony.

However, Deportivo coach Javier Irureta insisted that his team had not targeted the England captain.

He said: "We didn't single out Beckham for any special treatment. I didn't see the incident from my vantage point, but what I can say is that David has been unlucky facing us the last two weeks.

"I hope he recovers from it quickly and I am genuinely sad for what happened."

Beckham's likely absence from this summer's World Cup finals would have huge repercussions in co-host country Japan and especially in the city of Saitama - England's venue for England's opening match against Sweden.

The local J League team, Uwara Reds - who are nicknamed the Red Devils - model themselves on Manchester United and their supporters are just mad about Beckham.

FA communications manager Adrian Bevington has just returned from a trip to Japan and he admitted: "There is no doubt David would be the highest profile player in the tournament, bar none.

"Everywhere I went in Japan I was asked about him, but in Saitama, they wanted to know everything about him.

"Michael Owen was second, but the England captain was way out ahead in the popularity stakes. I met supporters' representatives and they assured me the vast majority of the people inside the stadium when we play Sweden will be supporting us. In a crowd of 60,000, that should be to our advantage."

Beckham's popularity would have inevitably been a big headache for the FA's security staff, but his probable absence would provoke huge disappointment throughout Japan, where Premiership matches are shown regularly on television.

His appeal in Japan has obviously been significantly enhanced by his marriage to pop star Victoria 'Posh Spice' Adams and, should he not recover in time from the foot injury, his absence will considerably lessen the spotlight on England during the tournament.

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