LONDON: Turkey defender Alpay Ozalan says his Aston Villa contract would not have been cancelled if his recent spat with England captain David Beckham had been with any other player.

Alpay came under fire from the British media and English soccer fans after his much-publicized confrontation with Beckham during England's Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey in Istanbul two weeks ago.

"This would not have happened if the confrontation had been with any other player than David Beckham," Alpay told the Daily Mirror yesterday.

"The time and effort the English media give to David Beckham is unfair. It is injustice to the other players on the England team. The other players work harder than he does.

"I wanted to leave Aston Villa anyway. I am happy that we have resolved the situation."

On Thursday, Villa chairman Doug Ellis announced the premier league club had parted company with Alpay by mutual consent.

"In the light of recent events, it would have been difficult for Alpay to represent Aston Villa again in the future and the player himself was aware that life in England had become increasingly difficult for him and his family," Ellis told the club's website.

'Small incident'

"Therefore, both parties agreed that the best course of action was for the immediate termination of his contract which was due to expire in June, 2004.

"It was just a small incident in a football match," Alpay told the Daily Mirror.

"I am being crucified because of the recent history between the two countries."

Alpay taunted Beckham after he missed a penalty during the 0-0 draw that secured England's passage through to the European championship finals in Portugal next year and sent Turkey into a playoff with Latvia.

The burly defender stuck a finger in the England captain's face as they left the pitch at halftime and, seconds later, there was a tussle in the tunnel between players from both teams.

Alpay, however, told a Turkish TV interviewer that Beckham had spat on his shirt and should be the first to apologize.

Pictures were published of an effigy of Alpay hanging from a lamp-post and Villa manager David O'Leary granted him leave of absence while the player's future in the English game was questioned by commentators.

The central defender has had an unhappy time in English football since he joined Villa from Fenerbahce three years ago and made only five appearances for the club last season following repeated demands for a transfer.

Alpay tried to play down the events in Istanbul, telling the Villa website that the brawl in the tunnel "was nothing really."

Turkey's team manager Can Cobanoglu, in an interview with the state-run Anatolian news agency, expressed support for Alpay and said the English were deliberately distorting events.

"The hanging of an Alpay (effigy) from a lamp-post and the burning of his shirts will be a monument of shame in England's history," Cobanoglu said.

Agencies via Xinhua

(China Daily 10/25/2003 page7)