FA anger over media coverage

The Italian squad has already threatened their press with a black-out - and now The FA seem to be considering similar sanctions following the publication of Beckham and team-mate Gary Neville at the team's hotel in Portugal.

In a statement, The FA said: "The Football Association would like to place on record its extreme disappointment at the photographs that appeared in some of this morning's [Thursday] papers.

"This is a clear breach of the players' privacy and coming at a time when we have done all we can to ensure the players are allowed to focus on their football, and everything we can to ensure that the requests of the media are met, it is all the more disappointing.

"The FA is currently assessing the most constructive way in which to take this matter forward.

"We are considering all the options available to us at this time."