Beckham faces the music

David Beckham faced the music today. As he joined his family on a skiing holiday in Switzerland, he knew that the very future of his marriage could hang on today's confrontation with his wife Victoria. He has already tried brushing the media off with a statement dismissing the allegations of an affair as "ludicrous".

But Victoria will be harder to deal with. She flew into a fury as long ago as last September when pictures were published of Beckham and Rebecca Loos in a Madrid nightclub.

Now her worst fears appear to have been realised. According to one friend quoted today, Victoria was too "shell-shocked" to contemplate what to do next. "I don't think she would leave him, though," the friend said. But what "friends" tell newspapers is one thing - what Victoria is really thinking is another.

Observers noted today that Beckham's statement fell short of a full denial of the claims that he had sex with 25-year-old Ms

Loos on four occasions between September and December last year, and sent her a series of sexually explicit text messages.

Beckham, 28, who was training with his Real Madrid team-mates when the story broke, said in a statement issued by his agent: "During the past few months I have become accustomed to reading more and more ludicrous stories about my private life.

"What appeared this morning is just one further example. The simple truth is that I am very happily married, have a wonderful wife and two very special kids.

"There is nothing that any third party can do to change these facts."

It remained unclear whether Beckham was considering legal action over the reports.

Ms Loos's brother John said she had phoned him yesterday and confessed that she had had an affair with the England captain.

"I can well imagine he's going to get a bad press now and my sister may be branded a marriage-wrecker," he said. "She knows her life is never going to be the same."

Despite speculation that his sister sold the story of their affair to the News Of The World via public relations agent Max Clifford, Ms Loos's brother said: "She has insisted to me she is not the person who exposed the affair. She says she feels betrayed."

Beckham's former bodyguard, Cuban security expert Delfin Fernandez, told The Sun that the star and Rebecca kissed "like teenagers" as he drove them to Madrid hotels.

"David was fine kissing her in front of me. Victoria knew nothing about it."

Beckham's father Ted today refused to comment on the allegations, simply saying: "I have nothing to say. Nothing at all."