Manchester United legend David Beckham has criticized some of the club’s current players for disrespecting fans, comparing their conduct to previous iterations of the team.
Beckham, who played for United from 1992 to 2003 and won the UEFA Champions League in 1999 when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, did not mention any players by name or mention specifics about the conduct in question. He did, though, compare this version of United to the Paris Saint-Germain team that are currently in the Champions League final.
“Their philosophy has changed and they all stuck with it and I think that they’ve created a team that are together,” Beckham said about PSG during “Beckham and Friends Live,” an alternative live broadcast of the Champions League final on Paramount+. “They are together as a team, every individual, every player is running for every [player] and that’s what you want. When you’re a fan of a club, that’s what you want to see and that’s … not what we see at Manchester United. You’re not seeing that.”
When asked to clarify whether or not he was discussing the club’s higher-ups or the players, Beckham said he was talking about the latter.
“It’s tough times but I don’t like seeing some of the things that are going on at the club,” he continued. “On the pitch is what counts but in all honesty, I’m seeing a lot of things that are not on the pitch that are not okay in my eyes, as a fan and as a lover of Manchester United.”
He also compared the current group to the version of the team he played for, saying he and his teammates were more respectful of fans than the unnamed players in question are.
“I’m talking about sometimes the way players are acting,” Beckham said. “You have to represent the badge and that’s what it’s about and I’ve seen a lot of things where players are not acting in the right manner. We were a part of a team that was so well-mannered. We understood what it meant to play for Manchester United. We understood what the badge meant. Wherever we traveled, whether it was in Europe, whether it was in Asia, you respected the fans. You respect the fans. You respect the fans, you respect the fact that they’re turning up, paying money and wanting you to sign and take pictures. You respect that. I don’t see that. I’m not saying it’s all of the players. I’m saying it’s one or two that are disrespecting that and I don’t like that.”
United have just concluded their worst-ever season in the Premier League, finishing in 16th place and missing out on a spot in European competition for the upcoming campaign. A defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in last week’s UEFA Europa League final added salt to their wounds, while a post-season tour of Asia added to the sour mood. Though United wrapped up the tour with a 3-1 win against Hong Kong’s national team on Friday, they lost 1-0 to the ASEAN All-Stars in Malaysia days earlier.
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