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Beckham to US; MLS!
Topic Started: Jan 11 2007, 05:40 PM (792 Views)
Deltasix
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Dunno who here will actually care, but as I am probably one of the biggest MLS fans here, and an all around huge fan of soccer:

Quote:
 
Beckham signs '$250M' L.A. deal
POSTED: 1915 GMT (0315 HKT), January 11, 2007

LONDON, England -- Former England captain David Beckham will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and sign a record $1 million-a-week five-year deal for MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy.

"This week Real Madrid asked me to make a decision regarding my future and the offer to extend my contract for a further two seasons," Beckham told Reuters.

"After discussing several options with my family and my advisors to either stay here in Madrid or join other major British and Europe.an teams I have decided to join L.A. Galaxy and play in the MLS from August this year."

The Galaxy, citing industry experts, said the L.A. deal is worth more than $250 million (128 million pounds) in salary and commercial endorsements -- about $1 million a week -- and is "thought to be the biggest in sporting history."


The news ends months of speculation about the future of the 31-year-old midfielder whose contract with Real expires at the end of the season.

"I would like to thank supporters and the people of Madrid who have made my family and I so welcome in my time here making this an extremely difficult decision to make," added Beckham.

"I have enjoyed my time here enormously and I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me an opportunity to play for such a great team and their amazing fans."

In a televised interview provided by LA Galaxy, Beckham added: "Another challenge has come up and it is the right time for us to do it.

"I didn't want to go out there at 34 years old and for people to turn around and say he's only going there to get the money. It's not what I'm going out there to do.

"I'm going to hopefully build a club and a team that has a lot of potential. I think that is what excites me."
No regrets

"Regrets? No. I have never had any regrets throughout my life and career and I never want to.

"To play with the players I have played with, to play with Zidane was the biggest honor I have had in my career, to play with the likes of Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos you know, for me, there is no regrets there."

Real Madrid confirmed that Beckham would not renew his contract with the club.

"After a meeting this morning at the Bernabeu between the club and David Beckham's agents both parties decided that David would not extend his present contract with the club which ends on June 30, 2007," Real said on their Web site

The 31-year-old, who joined Real from Manchester United in June 2003, is the most famous player to sign up for Major League Soccer since it began in 1996.

He is also the biggest name player to move to club soccer in the U.S. since the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff played in the long-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 1970s and early eighties.

Having been first choice in the Real Madrid starting lineup since he moved to Spain, Beckham lost his place following the arrival of Italian coach Fabio Capello.

He has only started five of Real's 16 league games this season and was known to be frustrated with his lack of opportunities in the first team.

LA Galaxy had made public their interest in Beckham who runs a football academy that shares its home with the team and who has close links to the Anschutz Entertainment Group who own the club.

"David Beckham coming to MLS might be viewed by some as one of the most important moments for soccer in this coutry and perhaps the history of professional sport," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement.

"David trancends the sport and is a cultural icon. David is clearly one of the most recognisable athletes in the world. People are going to feel really good about David Beckham spending the rest of his career in the U.S."
Inspired

The former Manchester United player said he was now inspired by the challenge of cracking the American soccer market.

"I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own.

But he insisted he would be giving his all for Real Madrid until the end of the season to try and win the major trophy that has eluded him since he joined the club in 2003.

"For the rest of this season I will continue to give 100 percent to my coach, team mates and fans and I believe Fabio Capello will bring this club and its supporters the success they truly deserve."

Beckham, who has a number of business interests in California and a thriving soccer school, has reportedly been stalling on a new two-year deal from Real because of his lack of first team opportunities.

Off the field, Beckham's profile and commercial appeal shows no sign of waning, but on the pitch the past year has seen the 31-year-old suffer a series of disappointments, culminating in England's exit to Portugal in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Beckham announced he was standing down as England captain after the defeat and has been left out of recent squads by new manager Steve McClaren.

It is a far cry from his glory days at Manchester United where he won four English Premier League titles and the Champions League as they memorably won the treble in 1999.

But his relationship with manager Alex Ferguson soured during 2003 and he joined Real to much fanfare.



Ha! Told you so Jammy! :P


As to how I feel about it, its a bit of a "this and that." I'm mad excited to be able to see David Beckham a couple of times a year (sad hes not playing for my team, DC United). The money seems outrageous (okay, it is) but heres a bit of a breakdown of it:

MLS pays: $400,000/yr. per Designated Player rules

AEG (The Company that owns LA Galaxy) is paying: $9 million/yr. (reported salary)

The rest has to come from Beckham retaining 100% of his image rights:

$44 million/yr. (reportedly)

Add all that up and you have approx. $55 million/yr. * 5 years = $250 million over 5 years.

For you American fans, A-rod is getting 252 Million over 10 years.

I'll give some more analysis later, but wow. Your thoughts?
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Pete B
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He should give 90% to the NHS.

That pay is absoloutely rediculous, even for Beckham.
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~kato~
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I saw that on ESPN and lmao. Especially since soccer isn't even

a big time sport here in the U.S
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Themepark
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Good riddance to him. But unfortunately even if he is 1000 miles away we still won't stop hearing about him.

Quote:
 
That pay is absoloutely rediculous, even for Beckham.

Beckham has past it. He did long ago. He makes himself out to be a man more sinned against than sinning. Rubbish. He hides when his squad need him and when a goal goes in he's first to be infront of a camera in the celebrations all the time. He knew he was playing crap so he forced himself to throw up to get taken off. Again playing the poor injured little lamb who had remarks thrown at his wife being too thin.

He's not as good as his public demand that he be or that the media say he is.

Overpaid, Overrated. He's useless. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
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doob
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Isnt he like 33 years old? I wouldnt sign a 33 year old to a 5 year contract. And hes not making National team, yet hes earning 1m a week. He should donate atleast 50% to charity. Consider the fact hes already effing rich.
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Dopey
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Good, you can have him. Him and the sport he plays is an irritation.
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Rory
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I have a huge amount of respect for David Beckham. Ok, so he's not always come across in the best light in the past - but he has always risen above the mockery he has received (anyone remember him being the most hated person in the country after the match against Argentina in the '98 World Cup when he got sent off? And then being an integral part in the Manchester United squad that won the trebal in the following season?).

He is getting into the latter stages of his career, and has a football academy in LA already, so a move to the US seems like a very good one for him. Hopefully he can help raise the profile of soccer in the US due to the fact that he is a very big name (although he is going towards the end of his career). As much as I'd hate to see soccer make it big in the US (purely because I think they would become a dominant force in the soccer world due to their massive player base and funds! [don't get me wrong, that would be great to see entertainment wise, i just wish England would be better than they are! Or at least perform as good as the players can be, which should be pretty good![) I think that it can only help the sport in the long term.

Yes, the US is always going to have baseball, basketball and american football as the major sports - but i think soccer has real potential to make an impact in the US and offer a chance to people who aren't particularly suited to those other sports.

By signing big players from Europe, the US really has a chance to get more people interested, even more funding and hopefully make a big deal of the sport!
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FTloz
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I assume the owner of LA Galaxy hasn't watched Real Madrid since Beckham joined or his performances for England. The fact Beckham has no international future and no longer plays for Real means his sponsorships will surely go downhill. I don't know how LA Galaxy expect to re-cooperate the £125 million they are paying him but there must be some reason.
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Lukе
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He'll be earning £50 a minute under the new contract. Ridiculous, considering all football is is 22 people kicking a ball around.
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Rory
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FTloz
January 13, 2007 12:13 PM
I assume the owner of LA Galaxy hasn't watched Real Madrid since Beckham joined or his performances for England. The fact Beckham has no international future and no longer plays for Real means his sponsorships will surely go downhill. I don't know how LA Galaxy expect to re-cooperate the £125 million they are paying him but there must be some reason.

LA Galaxy aren't actually paying him that much (if what i've read is correct).

Most of that money comes from sponsorships etc.

He gets an annual salary of $10m, and the rest comes from shirt sales, existing sponsorships and also he has shares in the club.
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jammyd01
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Themepark
January 11, 2007 05:57 PM
Good riddance to him. But unfortunately even if he is 1000 miles away we still won't stop hearing about him.

Quote:
 
That pay is absoloutely rediculous, even for Beckham.

Beckham has past it. He did long ago. He makes himself out to be a man more sinned against than sinning. Rubbish. He hides when his squad need him and when a goal goes in he's first to be infront of a camera in the celebrations all the time. He knew he was playing crap so he forced himself to throw up to get taken off. Again playing the poor injured little lamb who had remarks thrown at his wife being too thin.

He's not as good as his public demand that he be or that the media say he is.

Overpaid, Overrated. He's useless. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Yes he's past his best, he's still a great player.

Overated? not really people don't rate him highly anymore anyway. and he's certainly not useless
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Scorpy
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~kato~
January 11, 2007 09:47 PM
I saw that on ESPN and lmao. Especially since soccer isn't even

a big time sport here in the U.S

Thats apparently his reason for going there, to raise the profile and increase the popularity of football / soccer in America.

And to Rory's post - well said.
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Deltasix
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Alright, some general responses:

1- Yes, David Beckham isn't at the top of his game. But not at the top of his game still makes is very good, whatever your bias against his personal life/team choices/etc is. Hes good at what he does, hes a wing player and spot on free kick taker. As Jammy said, how exactly is he overrated? People don't even bother to say hes good.

2- Hes coming to MLS, he isn't just starting out in La Liga, expectations on play style will be different. Seeing Beckhams play to me makes it seem as if he'll fit into MLS alright. Hes fairly one dimensional (free kicks and crossing) and he lacks the finesse of other plays, more brute force that crazy style, which is what MLS is right now, a rough league. I doubt he'd be the best player in the league when he comes to MLS, possibly not even the best player on his team. I mean, Donovon (despite a horrible career abroad and at the last cup) is a great player is MLS. My team, DC United, has a few that are probably better players than him, Gomez, Moreno, and a couple more.

3- Theres a reason why hes coming to MLS, thats to get soccer more attention in the United States. When Pele and Beckenbaur went to play for the New York Cosmos, a team in the now defunct NASL, the Cosmos where drawings crowds larger than any other league in New York. Yes, that includes the Yankees, the Giants, the Jets, The Mets, and whatever hockey teams they had at the time. Granted, then the NASL imploded, but MLS has taken steps against that. And its easy to say that Pele and Beckenbaur were past their prime, but that didn't matter.

4- Whatever his level of play now, International rights images will still make him a great amount of money.

And finally, a specific response:

Quote:
 
As much as I'd hate to see soccer make it big in the US (purely because I think they would become a dominant force in the soccer world due to their massive player base and funds!


I doubt that would ever happen, American Soccer being a global force. I mean, it is with women's but thats a women's sport, so it doesn't count.

The thing is, the US, with its massive player base in all sports isn't any longer a global force. We aren't in hockey as much, we aren't in basketball (we lost to Greece for gosh sake) we aren't in baseball, we just aren't. And to think that a sport like soccer would make us, I dunno, I don't think you have much to fear from this side of the pond.

If soccer remains a niche sport, I suppose thats fine with me. I just want it to stay a professional sport in the United States at all!
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Mallards14
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He's not worth that much. No one is worth that much.
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Deltasix
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Care to back up what you're saying? Or not so much?
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