Ode aan een Argentijnse verdediger

LA CORUNA, Spain, April 11 (Reuters) - Deportivo Coruna midfielder Aldo Duscher is unrepentant about the wild tackle that could have put paid hopes to David Beckham's hopes of leading England at the World Cup finals. "I did not go in with the intention of injurying him, but because it is Beckham everything has been exaggerated," Duscher was quoted as saying by sports daily Marca on Thursday. The Argentine player's challenge in the 18th minute of the Champions League quarter-final defeat by Manchester United left the England captain with a broken bone in his foot that will put him out of action for between six and eight weeks.

"I hope he recovers soon," he said. "But I haven't spoken to him about it and why should I? "Would anyone bother if it was one of us that was injured? Here all the players are treated the same." Deportivo coach Javier Irureta was more conciliatory when asked about the United player, who also sustained an injury in the first leg after a challenge by striker Diego Tristan. "David (Beckham) has been really unlucky against us," he told reporters. "I have never told any player to go in hard against an opponent and in particular never against Beckham who is a player I admire a great deal."