LA Galaxy’s Donovan and Lalas argued over MVP

LA Galaxy’s Donovan and Lalas argued over MVP

09.07.09 | Andrew Slevison
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Former Los Angeles president and general manager Alexi Lalas has revealed how he and Landon Donovan argued over the club’s MVP award in 2007.

An excerpt from a book called The Beckham Experiment written by Grant Wahl, said that in 2007, Lalas overrode a media vote for the club’s Most Valuable Player that was supposed to go to striker Landon Donovan.

Lalas made sure the award went to Chris Klein, meaning Donovan missed out on a $25,000 bonus.

The book attributes quotes to Lalas, saying Donovan was compensated eventually.

"Landon got his money because he cried, but I still looked him in the eye and said: 'I don't personally believe you're the MVP,'" Lalas is quoted as saying.

Donovan believed that Lalas was ‘in over his head’ during his time in charge at the Galaxy and was often ‘trying to do too much’.