Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has confirmed David Beckham's trip to Rome on Friday was sanctioned by the club - and that the former England captain had returned to training on Saturday morning to continue his recovery from a knee injury.
Beckham travelled to Italy with wife Victoria to attend a pre-nuptial dinner with Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who married in nearby Bracciano on Saturday. It had initially been suggested that Beckham had defied Real in order to make the trip, while later reports declared the club had given the former England captain the green light to go.
"Beckham was in Rome with the permission of the club," said Capello. "On Saturday morning he was at Real Madrid City. We game him permission to travel, because the doctor said he could. He has not missed a single minute of his rehabilitation."