Ruud Gullit returned to the Home Depot Center — scene of his nine-month stint as coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy — on Monday and spoke about his adventure in Lalaland.

The former Holland international said soccer in the United States is hamstrung by a conspiracy among the bigger sports. Because of this, he added, the Galaxy’s brightest star, David Beckham, will not have the grand effect on American soccer that his bosses hope. “David is more than just a football player and I think he does extremely well to give football here a lift,” Gullit told Reuters. “I think [American soccer organizers] are afraid of football because it’s so popular everywhere around the world. I think they will just control it so it doesn’t become more popular than their American sports.

“I have my doubts if they really want to make [soccer] popular. Some sports already have had a bit of a dive so they don’t want American football to become less popular, or basketball or baseball.”

The former AC Milan star and two-time World Player of the Year appeared in Los Angeles at a training event arranged by car manufacter Ford. During his term as Galaxy coach, despite having an offensively talented side that included Beckham and Landon Donovan, Gullit resigned from the Galaxy for personal reasons in August. He finished with 6-8-5 record in Los Angeles.

“Of course you do,” he said when asked if he had any regrets about taking the L.A. head coach’s position last November, “especially if you know what you know now. I don’t know if I would have taken the same decision again, that’s for sure.”