Beckham disappointed by tabloid attack on his family

David Beckham is disappointed that an article in Germany's top-selling newspaper mocked his wife, mother, sister and children.

"That's one thing that is hard to accept," the England captain said Tuesday. "I've come to terms with people criticizing me as a footballer, but when it comes to my family that's one thing I will never accept."

"I actually find it sad that someone drops to that level to criticize my family. It's just one sad person sat in a room thinking of one thing that maybe can try to put me off the next game. I'm not going to let it do that."

In an article spread across almost the entire back page of Monday's edition, the German tabloid Bild described how Beckham's family looked while watching England's 1-0 win over Paraguay on Saturday.

The article said Beckham's wife Victoria, a former singer with the Spice Girls, was a "luxury wife," described two of three of Beckham's sons as dwarves, and called one, Romeo, a girl. It also described Beckham's mother as having "a farmer's smile" and his sister Joanne as "Chubbyham."

"Oops is she plump," the paper wrote. "Arms, breasts, bum -- very British. Joanne is one of those who drinks sangrias on a Mallorca beach out of buckets. And after that the first to dance on the table -- topless."

Beckham said he found it disappointing because he'd always had a good relationship with the German public.

"It's one of my biggest markets outside of football and it's also the home of (sponsor) Adidas," Beckham said. "It's just one person. I'm not going to let it put me off one of the biggest football competitions in the world in which I'm hoping to go all the way."

Beckham said he was used to being mocked after the vitriol he received after getting sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. England lost that match on penalties.

"My family are used to it for the last 10 years," he said. "When something has happened on the pitch it's my family that has been affected going back to 1998."

"My parents had vans and 20 photographers outside their house for three weeks after the event. I try to put up with it but when it gets to my nan and granddad, my parents, my sister, it's hard for them."