(dpa) - David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy was in disarray Monday night after coach Ruud Gullit resigned from the slumping team for personal reasons and president-general manager Alexi Lalas was fired.
The move came after a seven-match winless streak endangered the team's chances of reaching the playoffs for the second season running since Beckham's arrival as part of a 250-million-dollar deal last year.
Beckham was supposed to be the footballing superstar whose talents on the pitch would rocket the Galaxy to the US championship, while his off-field celebrity would help drag soccer into the American mainstream.
Though he boosted interest in the game, his influence on the pitch has been less dramatic. Last season, he was injured on arrival and only played five league games, while this year his team's early form has declined with seven games without a win.
Gullit took the job in November 2007 and started on a three-year contract in January. He will now be succeeded by Cobi Jones, a veteran US national player who retired at the end of last season after spending his entire pro career with the Galaxy and was appointed assistant coach.