Former football player David Beckham is the idol of millions today. But this was not always the case, even at the peak of his career.
In 1998, in the quarter-final match between England and Argentina, David received a red card and thereby deprived his team of a chance to win. England crashed out of the World Cup, and the 23-year-old footballer faced an avalanche of hate. Victoria Beckham recalled this time in a new Netflix documentary.
“They hated him. This is absolute hatred and public bullying on many levels. David was depressed, absolutely clinically depressed. And I still want to kill these people who brought him to this state,” Victoria admitted.
When asked by director Fisher Stevens if Victoria still thought it was a good idea to break the news to her husband before “the biggest game of his life,” she shrugged.
Speaking about that situation, David recalled being constantly booed and jeered by opposition fans throughout much of the following season. Once they even burned an effigy of his face, threatening that the same thing could happen to the football player himself.
“It changed my life. I felt very vulnerable and alone. Everywhere I went, people insulted me, spat in my face, and said unpleasant things. It was complicated.”
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