|
|
Beckham to play 'small part' in Olympic opening ceremony
Jul 24, 2012 8:15:00 PM
The former England captain was controversially omitted from Stuart Pearce's Team GB football squad but has revealed that he will have some involvement in the games this summer
| Bet: | Returns: | Los Angeles Galaxy £18.33 | Draw £36.00 | Seattle Sounders FC £45.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Los Angeles Galaxy £18.00 | Draw £35.00 | Seattle Sounders FC £45.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Los Angeles Galaxy £18.00 | Draw £33.00 | Seattle Sounders FC £40.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Los Angeles Galaxy £18.50 | Draw £33.00 | Seattle Sounders FC £45.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Los Angeles Galaxy £18.00 | Draw £34.00 | Seattle Sounders FC £43.30 |
|
The LA Galaxy midfielder was controversially left out of Stuart Pearce's 18-man team for the Games but has now confirmed that he will continue to be involved in London.
Beckham was part of the successful bid team seven years ago and described how grateful he remains to Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, for giving him a part to play.
"It's amazing to see," Beckham told ITV. "To be involved in the bid team that got the Olympics to London is something I feel very proud about.
"[I will have] some kind of role in the opening ceremony which I am honored to be involved in because obviously I was involved in the start of this process seven years ago.
"For it to all come to life now, and to see the Olympic Park built and all the athletes start to arrive is exciting.
"I'm privileged to still be involved in this. I was involved seven years ago [in bringing the Games to London] and Seb [Coe] has kept me involved since then. I feel very honoured with that.
"At the time I said it felt a bit strange to be involved in an Olympic bid team, because I'd never performed in the Olympics or been an Olympian. So to be asked to be part of that bid team, I was very honoured.
"Seb's an amazing man who's done amazing things leading up to these Olympics, and who continues to do amazing things. So for him to keep me involved, I feel privileged."
Beckham, now 37, has won more England caps than any other outfield player and captained his country between 2000 and 2006.
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets |
|
| Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached! |
|
| Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET! |
|
Related Stories
Make Your Prediction
Los Angeles Galaxy - Seattle Sounders F.C.
Los Angeles Galaxy
Seattle Sounders F.C.
Prediction Submitted
Most Popular Predictions
-
Los Angeles Galaxy 1-2 Seattle Sounders F.C.
- 25 %
-
Los Angeles Galaxy 1-3 Seattle Sounders F.C.
- 25 %
-
Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 Seattle Sounders F.C.
- 15 %
Live!
Champions League final - LIVE!
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.
7:13 PM BST
Carlo's now had his attention turned to the intiguing arrival of a certain Spaniard at the Allianz Arena this summer ...
@A_Mostefa17: Do you think Bayern will be even better with Guardiola next year or will it all go wrong for them?
CG: Everything suggests that Guardiola's Bayern will be a great team. The setups at Bayern and Barcelona are comparable, both on and off the pitch. Only Barcelona have monopolised more possession than Bayern over the past two seasons, while the Germans have enough top quality young players for Guardiola to build a great team around.
Everything is there for Guardiola to do well, the problem is that if Bayern win tonight and clinch the treble - as expected - how on earth do you better that? The simple answer is you can't. So Guardiola will almost be in a no-win situation from the outset, and that is never an easy starting point.
@A_Mostefa17: Do you think Bayern will be even better with Guardiola next year or will it all go wrong for them?
CG: Everything suggests that Guardiola's Bayern will be a great team. The setups at Bayern and Barcelona are comparable, both on and off the pitch. Only Barcelona have monopolised more possession than Bayern over the past two seasons, while the Germans have enough top quality young players for Guardiola to build a great team around.
Everything is there for Guardiola to do well, the problem is that if Bayern win tonight and clinch the treble - as expected - how on earth do you better that? The simple answer is you can't. So Guardiola will almost be in a no-win situation from the outset, and that is never an easy starting point.
7:09 PM BST
And the rest of that response (trust me - it gets even better!) to the question on whether Germany deserves four Champions League places:
CG: Germany took a place off Italy purely because Uefa's coefficient system - which rewards the same number of points to Europa League competitors as it does for those in the Champions League - was so ludicrously flawed.
There is no doubt that the Bundesliga is on the up and Serie A has since struggled in Europe - and this season Germany has proven its worth in the Champions League - but the league should hever have been granted a fourth place until they earned it in the Champions League ... not in a Mickey Mouse Cup that no one outside Germany and the minor nations takes seriously.
CG: Germany took a place off Italy purely because Uefa's coefficient system - which rewards the same number of points to Europa League competitors as it does for those in the Champions League - was so ludicrously flawed.
There is no doubt that the Bundesliga is on the up and Serie A has since struggled in Europe - and this season Germany has proven its worth in the Champions League - but the league should hever have been granted a fourth place until they earned it in the Champions League ... not in a Mickey Mouse Cup that no one outside Germany and the minor nations takes seriously.
7:07 PM BST
A cracking question here from Adam Scime, who has provoked an even better response out of Carlo, which I'll have to split in two!
@Scime_Live: Does Germany deserve four CL places?
CG: Germany were granted four Champions League places at the end of the 2010-11 season, which led to Italy losing one spot. This came into effect at the start of the 2012-13 campaign.
When Italy lost their place, their Champions League record was so far superior to Germany whether you looked at the last two,three,five,10,20 or 30 years. Serie A boasted two of the previous four winners of the competition, whereas the Bundesliga hadn't won a European trophy of any sort since 2001 ...
@Scime_Live: Does Germany deserve four CL places?
CG: Germany were granted four Champions League places at the end of the 2010-11 season, which led to Italy losing one spot. This came into effect at the start of the 2012-13 campaign.
When Italy lost their place, their Champions League record was so far superior to Germany whether you looked at the last two,three,five,10,20 or 30 years. Serie A boasted two of the previous four winners of the competition, whereas the Bundesliga hadn't won a European trophy of any sort since 2001 ...
7:04 PM BST
Carlo's finally been asked to put his neck on the line in our Twitter Q&A ...
@jagger_jagz: Who do you tip to win #UCL final?
CG: Bayern are clearly the favourites on paper. Individually and collectively they have the advantage, plus they have won two and drawn two out of their four meetings this season, so psychologically have the edge.
But, anything can happen in finals. The first goal will be crucial. If Bayern break the deadlock, it is hard to see them losing as they are so good at strangling the game and picking teams off. If Dortmund are to spring a surprise, I think they have to score first. If they manage that, then it will be interesting to see how Bayern react. They have developed a reputation as a team who bottle it on the big stage and fall at the final hurdle. Mentally, they seem a different proposition this year but falling behind could bring back all their bad memories and prove fatal.
@jagger_jagz: Who do you tip to win #UCL final?
CG: Bayern are clearly the favourites on paper. Individually and collectively they have the advantage, plus they have won two and drawn two out of their four meetings this season, so psychologically have the edge.
But, anything can happen in finals. The first goal will be crucial. If Bayern break the deadlock, it is hard to see them losing as they are so good at strangling the game and picking teams off. If Dortmund are to spring a surprise, I think they have to score first. If they manage that, then it will be interesting to see how Bayern react. They have developed a reputation as a team who bottle it on the big stage and fall at the final hurdle. Mentally, they seem a different proposition this year but falling behind could bring back all their bad memories and prove fatal.
7:01 PM BST
An interesting one here from a concerned Barceloan fan - or perhaps it's Cristiano Ronaldo in disguise.
@messixaviesta: Do you think the team that wins this final will provide the 2013 Ballon d'Or winner or it will once again go to Messi?
CG: As we are in an odd-number year, with no World Cup or European Championship, it is certain that the victor of the Ballon D'Or will be an individual who stars solely for their club team. As a result, a Champions League winner has as good a chance as anyone to pick up the prestigious prize.
The gong usually goes to a midfielder or attacker, so my money would be on Franck Ribery if Bayern win the Champions League as he is the kind of player voters usually go for. Having said that, as Bayern and Dortmund are such outstanding 'teams', their inividuals aren't always in the spotlight like a Messi or Ronaldo, so that could count against them.
@messixaviesta: Do you think the team that wins this final will provide the 2013 Ballon d'Or winner or it will once again go to Messi?
CG: As we are in an odd-number year, with no World Cup or European Championship, it is certain that the victor of the Ballon D'Or will be an individual who stars solely for their club team. As a result, a Champions League winner has as good a chance as anyone to pick up the prestigious prize.
The gong usually goes to a midfielder or attacker, so my money would be on Franck Ribery if Bayern win the Champions League as he is the kind of player voters usually go for. Having said that, as Bayern and Dortmund are such outstanding 'teams', their inividuals aren't always in the spotlight like a Messi or Ronaldo, so that could count against them.
Inside Goal.Com
-
Champions League Final Preview: Dortmund - Bayern
Jurgen Klopp's side will be eager for vengeance after watching their Bundesliga title slip into the hands of the Bavarian giants this term
-
The Dossier: Stop Martinez, stop Bayern
With the Mario Gotze missing through injury, Marco Reus will be charged with the task of stopping Javi Martinez from dictating proceedings in the middle of the park
-
'Mario, you will never redeem yourself'
Mario Gotze's injury means the playmaker has now played his final game for Borussia Dortmund. In an open letter, a fan tells of his emotion at his controversial switch to Bayern
-
BVB's rise from the abyss to European contenders
BVB have recovered from teetering on the edge of bankruptcy to take their place on Europe's grandest stage, humbling their opponents on Saturday, Bayern Munich, along the way
-
Neymar's choice: How he saw all this coming
Santos' star forward spoke to Goal's Sebastian Garcia a year ago about the fight for his services between Spain's two top teams and his insight was revealing
