Acciari Denies Intent to Hurt Beckham

Murcia's Argentinian midfielder Jose Luis Acciari says there was no intent to hurt David Beckham in his tackle on Saturday.

The tackle cut the English skipper's right ankle and he required several stitches.

Acciari made the tackle in the second half of Madrid's 1-0 over Murcia on Saturday.

Following the tackle, Beckham picked himself up and took the resulting free-kick.

However, it soon became clear that he was unfit to continue and was replaced by Guti.

"I didn't realise at the time, but from what I saw in the photo in the morning paper, it seems it was me that did it," Acciari said.

"I'm sorry. I don't think Beckham himself realised what had happened and he kept on playing, it was only after he received another foul that he saw the injury and left the pitch," he added.

Beckham has had several confrontations with Argentine players in the past but it appears that Acciari did not mean ti injure Beckham.

"The fact is that he is a gentleman," Acciari said.

"Football is like that, during the game we all look after our own interests - I look after mine and he looks after his. But once the game is over we are all normal people and everything else stays out there on the pitch," he said.