Victoria Beckham, the former Spice Girl and fashion designer, has revealed how she coped with the abusive chants from football fans who targeted her and her husband David Beckham in the late 1990s. In a new Netflix documentary series about David’s life and career, Victoria recalls a bizarre encounter with a female fan who offered her a mint while thousands of people sang a crude song about her.
The aftermath of France ’98
The documentary, titled Beckham, explores the highs and lows of David’s journey as one of the most famous footballers in the world. One of the lowest points was his infamous red card in the 1998 World Cup, when he was sent off for kicking Argentina’s Diego Simeone in the last-16 match. England lost the game on penalties and David became the scapegoat for the nation’s disappointment.
He faced death threats, effigies, and relentless abuse from rival fans, who also targeted his then-girlfriend Victoria. The couple had started dating in 1997 and became engaged in 1998. They married in 1999 and have four children together.
Victoria says that she felt like she was “drowning” in the negativity and did not know what to do. She also admits that she still wants to “kill” those who bullied her husband and left him “clinically depressed”.
The X-rated chant and the awkward offer
One of the most humiliating moments for Victoria was when she attended a Manchester United game at Old Trafford, where David played at the time. She was pregnant with their first child, Brooklyn, and had to endure a vulgar chant from thousands of fans who sang “Posh Spice takes it up the a***”.
Victoria says that the chant was “embarrassing” and “hurtful” and that she felt helpless. She also reveals that a woman sitting next to her in the stands did not know how to react and offered her a Polo mint.
“She said ‘do you want a Polo?’ Do I want a Polo? What do you say when you’re sat next to someone and 75,000 people say you take it up the a***! We did not know what to do, it felt like we were drowning,” Victoria says.
How David turned it around
David, on the other hand, says that he used the abuse as motivation to prove his critics wrong. He says that he was determined to score goals whenever he heard people singing hurtful things about his family.
He also credits Victoria for being his rock and supporting him through the difficult times. He says that she was always there for him and that he loved her more than anything.
David went on to win the treble with Manchester United in 1999, scoring a crucial free kick against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. He also became the captain of England and played in three more World Cups. He retired from football in 2013 after a successful career that spanned clubs like Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain.
The documentary series Beckham will be released on Netflix on Wednesday, October 6.
