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| Landon Donovan Opens Up About Losing LA Galaxy Captaincy to David Beckham. |
Landon Donovan, former LA Galaxy star, recently shared his thoughts about the time he lost the team’s captaincy to David Beckham. Beckham joined LA Galaxy late in the 2007 season after leaving Real Madrid, and this story came up again after Beckham said it was one of his biggest regrets.
On CBS Sports’ show Beckham & Friends Live, Beckham explained that at first, he refused the club owner Philip Anschutz’s request to take the captain’s armband from Donovan. But after hearing that Donovan was okay with it, Beckham changed his mind and accepted the role.
“After about a week, they told me Landon was fine with it,” Beckham said. “When I asked Landon, he said, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ So they gave me the captain’s armband. Honestly, it’s my one regret—I should never have taken it from Landon.”
Donovan responded to Beckham’s comments in an interview with Sports Illustrated. He admitted that he did not agree with the decision at first.
“I told our coach, general manager, and owner that I didn’t agree with it,” Donovan said. “But in the end, I wanted to win, and if giving the captaincy to David was best for the team, then that was okay.”
Donovan also thanked Beckham for being honest about the situation.
“It gave David confidence when he joined, and it helped him gain respect from the team right away,” Donovan said. “Although it wasn’t easy for me at first, it turned out to be the right choice. We were able to succeed and win together.”
Beckham was LA Galaxy’s captain through the 2008 season. Donovan regained the captain’s armband from 2009 to 2011. Together, they helped the team win two MLS Cup titles in 2011 and 2012.
Both Beckham and Donovan have statues outside LA Galaxy’s stadium, and they are honored members of the club’s Ring of Honor.
Donovan is LA Galaxy’s all-time top scorer, with 145 regular-season goals and 136 assists. He also holds the record for most playoff goals in MLS history (25). In 2015, the league named its MVP award after him as a tribute to his impact on the sport.
Today, Beckham is the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF, which will compete in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Meanwhile, Donovan recently served as interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) during 2024.
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