In Miami, they finally presented the main long-term construction of modern American sports - football club David Beckham. Sport Connect tells the details of this mysterious project.
Football in Miami has a painful fate. The first team appeared there back in the late nineties: Miami Fusion entered the MLS as part of the 1998 expansion draft. Then-league commissioner Doug Logan said at the presentation, "It's no coincidence that we're here right after the mayoral election. There is a long difficult path behind us, in which politics intervened, but I am glad that all this is behind us and only football is ahead of us.” This phrase explains a lot.
The fact is that Miami - one of the largest markets in America along with New York and Los Angeles - is formally divided into several administrative units, the leaders of which do not always get along with each other. Contrary to the optimism of the MLS management, the team had to play not in the center of Miami itself, but in the city of Fort Lauderdale, located several tens of kilometers north of the main part of the resort. The team suffered from appallingly low attendance (about 7,500 spectators per game on average) and was closed in January 2002.
In the spring of 2006, a new hope flared up: in Miami, the transfer of the 40-year-old legend Romario to the NASL club (the second most powerful US league, an analogue of the FNL) Miami FC was magnificently arranged. But he stayed in America for a short time - however, like the club itself. A few years later, his compatriot Ronaldo became a shareholder of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers club - but he disappeared pretty quickly.
In May 2015, media mogul Ricardo Silva, in partnership with Paolo Maldini, announced the creation of a new Miami FC, with Alessandro Nesta as head coach. The club is very successful in the same NASL, but further plans are too vague, because the league itself is on the verge of collapse, and the lawsuit with the American football authorities, which Silva started, did not bring any benefit. It is known that Silva wants a radical change in the rules of MLS (including the abolition of the closed status of the league) and was even willing to pay $ 4 billion for a 10-year television contract with the right to influence the rules.
Well, now about what Beckham has planned. David received the right to buy a new franchise back in 2007, when he moved from Real Madrid to Los Angeles Galaxy. Becks was entitled to a huge discount, so the license cost him only $25 million(all other new clubs now have to pay 150 million).
Beckham decided to create a club in Miami in the winter of 2014, but he had to wait for the presentation 1454 days. The reason is the same - a difficult political situation.
These four years dragged on for David painfully and exhaustingly: residents of different parts of the city were against the construction of the stadium, and the passivity of the authorities and tons of bureaucratic trifles did not allow thinking about the concept of the future club.
At first, the Beckham team tried to break into the vicinity of the Miami cruise port, but large entrepreneurs interested in this territory sensed the competition and blocked all football plans. Then David set his sights on another prestigious coastal area, but civil organizations rebelled there and locals. History repeated itself when investors liked the location next to the Marlins Park arena.
Following Beckham's associates asked to allocate them a territory in the north of Miami (near the basketball AmericanAirlines Arena), but the project turned out to be too crude and did not answer many questions from the architecture commission. In general, it was a real land marathon.
It was only towards the end of 2015 that at least some stability appeared: the Beckham team bought land in the city's Overtown area a few blocks northwest of downtown Miami. A group of investors purchased 6 acres for $19 million, and a little later, the county commissioners approved the sale of the missing 3 acres for another 9 million.
It seemed that Beckham would finally stop suffering, but a local businessman and activist Bruce Matheson unexpectedly intervened in the situation, who accused the local authorities of a) selling the land below market value; b) made the auction closed. The court proceedings further delayed the preparations for construction - and only in October 2017, Matheson's complaint was nevertheless rejected (although he does not give up and disputes this decision). Matheson is generally an experienced opponent of noisy sports events, he is one of the main initiators of the move tennis tournament Miami Open from Crandon Park to the 65,000 capacity Hard Rock Stadium.
But this is not the only obstacle in the way of Beckham. MLS management was confused by the composition of the board of directors new team- in particular, the figure of a key investor, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball club, Todd Boeli. MLS bosses feared that it was Beckham's discount on the franchise that attracted him in the first place, and not a real opportunity to build a strong team in Miami (the league requires local entrepreneurs to dominate among investors).
Everything is so confused that at the end of the past years Beckham completely weakened. In November 2017, he met with partner Marcelo Claure (he is the CEO of one of the largest US mobile operators) to agree on a freeze or even closure of the project. "Just a couple of months ago we almost gave up b. Even met at breakfast in New York to say goodbye. But suddenly they looked at each other and said: “Man, we just can't give up. We have to find a way out."
According to the beautiful legend of Claura, it was at this meeting that he remembered a letter from the Mas brothers, who own a large engineering company in Miami (MasTec, Forbes estimates its revenue at 5 billion dollars a year). One of the brothers - Jorge Mas - confirms this version: “On November 7, I wrote to Marcelo Claura that our family really wants the project to be implemented. Just a week later we had dinner. Two and a half months have passed - and here we are announcing the start of Miami in MLS.
“We found what we were missing - a local partner who knows Miami well and understands what needs to be done. If it were not for Beckham, Jorge and Jose Mas, nothing would have happened now, ”continued Claure.
Beckham's franchise is also co-owned by American Idol show creator Simon Fuller and Masayoshi Son, CEO of a major American bank.
How to make a club popular even before the first match. US textbook
The presentation of the Beckham project brought together the entire leadership of the Miami agglomeration (the very mayors who for 20 years could not find a common language with numerous investors), MLS commissioner Don Garber and the owners of the new club. What were we told?
- While Beckham's team has no no name, no traditional colors. They will be chosen taking into account the wishes of the fans.
- The stadium (capacity - 25,000 people) will spend about $225 million, it will be built by 2021. So far, investors have never mentioned the Overtown area, and many speculate that the club may change location.
- More $100 million will be invested in the development of the academy.
- At the presentation, a video was shown in which Beckham was congratulated by a crowd of celebrities - from his wife Victoria and Serena Williams to Usain Bolt and Jay Z.
- Beckham is not going to move to Miami. “Children need stability. We live in London, my wife has her own business there. But I will definitely spend a lot of time in Miami. When I start working on something, I give it 100%."
- The club promises powerful transfers. "I've already been called top players I won't say who exactly. They said: "I'm ready, I'm in business." Of course we want to bring the best players from Europe because Miami needs stars. But most of all we are interested in bringing up great players here.” When David was asked if Cristiano Ronaldo would move to Miami, he replied: "Ask him yourself."
- Beckham will definitely not become a coach. "I've never been drawn to coaching. But being an owner is what every guy dreams of.
This text was jointly prepared by the general manager of Virtus.pro Roman Dvoryankin and Chief Editor of Sport Connect Vlad Voronin. Roman has been running one of the leading sports business blogs on the site for several years, and we are glad that we can read his texts again - now on Sport Connect. Subscribe to our updates so as not to miss a lot of material about the upcoming Olympics in Korea.
Also read on Sport Connect.
So, 38-year-old Beckham returns to big football. Only in a new capacity - as the owner of the club. At the same time, the team, the creation of which, together with David, was announced by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, not only does not have a name. It is not yet known at all when the team from Miami will enter the field. It is said that this will not happen before 2016. The Beckham club, which is now called that, does not have a stadium that is mandatory under the rules of MLS. According to Florida media reports, the famous Englishman has not even signed a contract to build the arena. Although the fact that the creation of a new team has already been announced suggests that there should be no problems here. According to most local newspapers, a 25,000-seat stadium will grow in a year or two near the Port of Miami, where both cargo ships and snow-white cruise ships moor.
Beckham decided to organize his club in America, of course, not by chance. He, recall, played for five years for Los Angeles Galaxy and twice became the US champion with him. And in his first contract with the Californians, signed in 2007, there was a clause that gave him the right to purchase a team with a minimum contribution of $ 25 million. According to rumors, David began to think about buying a football club for a long time. And leaving from big football decided to take advantage of his privilege.
True, 25 million dollars to create a team, especially in expensive Miami, the city of millionaires, of course, is not enough. More money is needed. It is not surprising that even the multimillionaire Beckham, who was the richest football player in the world, was forced to attract outside investors to participate in his project. The Florida media are already naming potential investors. They say that Simon Fuller, the author and owner of the most popular TV show Pop Idol, billionaire Marcelo Klar and the star of the local Heat basketball club LeBron James, is not averse to investing several tens of millions of dollars in a club from Miami.
The leadership of the MLS hope that the third coming of the team from Florida will be more successful than the first two. In 1996, Tampa Bay Mutini played in the US Championship. A little later, Miami Fusion appeared. But the Florida clubs were never able to attract fans, get on their feet, and in 2001 they were disbanded. It is assumed that such a popular person as Beckham will not have problems with the audience. And soccer itself, as they call the game in the United States, which was once invented by the British, is rapidly gaining popularity. And if David also wants to train his team or even shake the old days and enter the field, then the full house, according to experts, is guaranteed for the new Florida project.
In addition, the leadership of the MLS took a firm course to increase the number of clubs. In the short term, they should be 22. And the more distant goal of the league commissioner Garber is 24 teams. Moreover, MLS is going to grow primarily at the expense of the south of the United States. In 2015, by the way, another club from Florida will start playing in it - Orlando City (as well as New York City). Beckham is 22nd in line. The 23rd member of the American football league, which will join it in two or three years. He will represent Atlanta, Georgia.
David Beckham is live icon world football. The midfielder from England has become a real idol for millions. He has always impressed not only with his exquisite playing, but also with his excellent sense of style.
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adifans/
The athlete often appeared on the covers of glossy magazines and was an active participant in many secular parties. Beckham's performance on the field was amazing, he won a huge number of individual and team awards. This article contains all the most interesting information about the career and personal life of the former England international.
Biography of David Beckham
The boy was born in the largest city in the UK - London. The income of Beckham's parents was not very large, his father worked as an ordinary furniture assembler, and his mother was a hairdresser.
The family tried to attend church weekly, the guy was brought up according to Christian principles of morality. David's grandfather also took an active part in the formation of David. He often went with his grandson to the synagogue or to Tottenham matches.
2. Love for Manchester United.
The father of the future England international was a Manchester United fan. Members of the Beckham family often traveled to Manchester to see the Red Devils play live. The young man also inherited the love for this team, he attended the Bobby Charlton Academy for a long time.
David's childhood was all about football. From a very young age, the boy began to work in a team coached by his father and friends. As a teenager, he managed to run for Norwich, Leyton Orient and Tottenham. Only at the age of 14 did the guy sign his first serious agreement with Manchester United.
David Beckham career
4. Class 92.
Beckham joined Manchester United in 1991, and a year later he managed to become an important player in the academy. The young man played and trained with his peers, namely with Neville, Giggs, Davis, Scholes and Butt. These guys have become an integral part of the famous "Class 92".
The team was head and shoulders above their peers, a year later the guys lifted the first serious trophy over their heads - the FA Youth Cup. At an early age, the guy came on as a substitute in the match and for the main team of the Red Devils, but he failed to gain a foothold in the main team.
5. Rent at Preston North End.
Sir Alex Ferguson was well aware that a promising player needs to create all the conditions for faster progress. The coach decided to send the young man to a team from the third division of England. In the new team, the newcomer had to gain experience, as well as perform all standard positions. The athlete lived up to all expectations, in the first match he scored with a direct kick from the corner! The lease was not long, in early 1995 the guy became an integral part of Manchester United.
6. First full season in the Premier League.
The midfielder played brightly in his first season, and was also immediately remembered by the fans thanks to his bright set-piece goals. At the end of the championship, the player received the title of the best young player of the year. He helped the team win the championship and reach the semi-finals of the European Champions Cup.
7. Way to the top.
1999 was a triumphant year for Beckham. The team won 4 important trophies (FA Cup, Premier League title, Champions League Cup and Intercontinental Cup), and the young midfielder finished second in the fight for the Golden Ball. As part of English club the young man achieved almost everything, he needed a new challenge.
8. Scandal with boots.
One of negative sides David at the beginning of his career was that he did not like to work out well in defense. This was the reason for Manchester United's missed goal in the match with Arsenal. Ser Alex Ferguson was angry with the player, he kicked the boots that were on the floor towards the young man. One of them hit the star midfielder in the area near the eye.
The next morning, the situation was all over the news. It was then that the Manchester mentor decided to abandon the services of his best playmaker.
9. Transfer to Real Madrid.
The Spanish club signed the player for a small 18 million (today such a transfer would be valued at least 5 times more expensive). At this time, players such as Raul, Figo, Casillas, Guti, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Michel Salgado already played in the team.
The football player immediately became an important part of the new team and began to score in the first official matches. Despite the frisky game of the Englishman, the team from Madrid could not win official trophies. In Spain, the guy managed to win only in the Spanish Cup and Super Cup.
10. End game in Spain.
In 2007, Beckham lost his captaincy and also increasingly remained on the bench. Fabio Capello (coach of "Creamy") was dissatisfied with the game and behavior of the midfielder. The England player's contract was ending and he was transferred to the reserve team.
The old-timers of Real Madrid Casillas, Raul and Guti stood up for their teammate, the club's management was forced to return him to the base. The last couple of months in Spain were successful for David, he was again one of the leaders of the team.
11. Life in America.
The USA is a country of opportunity, as well as the most profitable advertising contracts. A huge increase in the interest of local viewers in soccer was the result of the footballer's move to America. Many Americans began to attend matches precisely to look at Beckham. The man made his debut for Los Angeles Galaxy in a friendly match against London Chelsea. Tom, Jennifer Hewitt, watched the game in the stands. Within a couple of months, the football player became the team captain and a key player in the base.
12. Game for two teams.
David's first two seasons in the US were not very successful. To keep fit in the off-season, he decided to go to Europe. Soon the athlete began to appear in the starting lineup. The rookie scored several goals and was an important starting player.
The return to America did not go very smoothly, some fans strongly criticized the guy. Some old-timers of the team were also negatively minded. For example, Landon Donovan said in the media that Beckham does not care about the club. David managed to shut his mouth to all his critics and helped the team reach the MLS Cup final. After a successful season, the midfielder went on loan to AC Milan again.
13. Long-awaited success in America.
In 2011, Beckham was in great shape. He was one of the best unpackers in the league, and also managed to lead his team to the long-awaited victory in the MLS Cup. During this period of time, the playmaker became a real favorite of the American public. Despite the honorable age of the athlete, the best European clubs continued to follow his game. Soon the man moved to Paris. For PSG, the player played only 10 matches and managed to win the title of champion of France.
14. Playing for the national team.
The midfielder played 115 matches for the national team, in which he scored 17 times. He debuted for main team countries at the age of twenty-one. Also, the man often took his compatriots to the field with a captain's armband. It was not possible to achieve much success, England did not take prizes in major international tournaments.
The big scandal happened in 2012 when Olympic Games took place in London. It was Beckham who did a lot to advance the UK bid in the fight for the right to host the biggest sports festival. Chief mentor football team did not include David in the England team. These actions caused a big scandal, many journalists, coaches and even politicians strongly criticized Stuart Pierce. At the tournament, the team performed terribly and dropped out of the fight for medals early.
Personal life of David Beckham
15. Family, children.
The couple of Victoria and David is one of the most famous in the United States. The football player married a member of the popular Spice Girls in 1999. The woman gave birth to three sons and one daughter for her husband.
16. Activities after football.
In the past few years, the guy began to actively act in films. He recently played a role in King Arthur of the Sword. Beckham launches a line of his clothes and perfumes, and also recently founded a professional club. The team from Miami will soon become a full-fledged member of the MLS.
17. Bright appearance.
The football player has always been a role model. It was he who brought sports to a new level. A huge number of employers signed contracts with the player. He dictated fashion for many men!
At the beginning of his career, many did not understand Beckham. Sir Alex Ferguson recalled one interesting event. One day, the coach saw many photographers at the base who were trying to be the first to photograph new look guy, but he flatly refused to take off his hat. When the coach forced the player to take off his hat, instead of a bright hairstyle, he noticed ordinary shaved hair.
At different times, one could see a parting, highlighting, African braids and even a mohawk on the athlete's head. Beckham is also the owner of a beautiful athletic physique. His height is 183 centimeters, and his weight is 75 kilograms.
18. Tattoos.
About seventeen tattoos can be seen on the athlete's body. Among them, the most famous are the cross on back side neck, a drawing of the crucifixion of Jesus, the names of sons and daughters, a portrait of his wife and several different inscriptions.
David Beckham has been trying for a year now to implement, at first glance, a very ambitious project. own club MLS in Miami.
Moreover, at one time, Backs was very lucky - we recall that in 2007, thanks to the appropriate option in the contract, the football player got the coveted franchise for some miserable, by today's standards, $ 25 million.
Why pathetic? For example, the sheikhs, who moved into the North American market and eventually founded New York City in 2013, already cost 100 million to join the MLS.
Surely, for the representatives of Mr. Mansour, this is mere pennies, but the progress regarding the cost of the franchise is visible on the face. As we know from the school bench and the simplest textbook on economics, demand creates supply.
Is it not remarkable that in mid-December last year, league commissioner Don Garber announced a potential expansion of the championship in the near future to twenty-eight teams, with the price of a quota skyrocketing like yeast and currently hovering in the range of 150-200 million dollars ?
Whatever it was, but now it is fashionable to play football overseas - not like a couple of decades ago.
And in many ways this effect caused just by the person of Beckham, who for years has attracted crowds of new fans to the stadium, ready to lay out their hard-earned money in order to watch the game of the idol of millions at least with one eye.
And it really worked - attendance at Los Angeles Galaxy games increased.
David, who made a name for himself in Europe, along the way made a name for MLS, contributing to the formation of the championship as a full-fledged brand - today Garber is discussing the sale of television rights for ninety million dollars and inviting not the last world-class stars, which he could only dream of ten years ago in the sweetest dreams.
The amount, by the way, by the standards of the Premier League, Examples or the Bundesliga is ridiculous, but there is a nuance here too - the functionary expects that in 2022 he will be able to bail out a billion. Not bad.
Therefore, the fact that Becks took advantage of the franchise at the end of his career in 2014 did not surprise anyone, in general. Yes, and we also expect a choice with Miami - one of the largest agglomerations in the United States and, importantly, a city in which there was no professional football club that plays specifically in the MLS.
After all, Miami Fusion, unfortunately, sunk into football oblivion in 2001, which, in turn, for David and his partners, Bolivian billionaire Marcelo Claure and British producer Simon Fuller, opened up immense horizons for the development of the club in the future.
Perhaps the most significant stumbling block in the way of the ex-midfielder's plans was the construction of the stadium. And, sadly, it still is.
The stadium is a must essential condition, on the basis of which, to a greater extent, the franchise is activated. If there are difficulties with the construction of the arena, then participation in the elite division can be forgotten. And this is not a joke at all - one of the brightest examples, who fully experienced all the hardships associated with the stadium, was the ill-fated Chivas USA.
The former president of the Red and Whites, Jorge Vergara, was in no hurry to follow the prescribed instructions "from above", limiting himself to renting the Stubhub Center, which is why Garber eventually liquidated the team in 2014, and successfully resold the franchise for $ 110 million to football player Mia Hamm, basketball player Magic Johnson and a group of investors.
By the way, the new owners also had a headache - the schedules of the Los Angeles club announced in the same 2014 shifted by several years. What do you think influenced this? That's right, the stadium.
Nevertheless, we note that the construction of the complex does not stand still, money is being spent (250 million dollars) and, according to financial analysts, everything will be ready by 2018.
Or let's recall with pomp the New York Cosmos revived in 2010 - a club seemingly supported by Pele and the late Carlos Alberto, where Raul played, and the role sports director"Tried on" by Eric Cantona.
However, by refusing to build a stadium, the team condemned itself to wandering around the expanses of the NASL - the city of New York estimated the land where the construction was supposed to be $ 400 million, thereby putting a bullet in the progress and motivation of the team.
As a result, in early December 2016, the football community was shocked by the news that Cosmos was again on the verge of collapse - all the players who had not received a salary for months received the status of free agents, and the management was desperately looking for new sponsors.
Everything could end very sadly, but, fortunately, in January of this year Lifebuoy left Rocco Commisso - the founder and head of Mediacom Communications Corporation (by the way, the fifth largest cable television broadcaster in the United States) dealt with debts and bought out a controlling stake.
But if the Cosmos in its current form is, in fact, a stillborn child, then Miami Beckham United is somewhere in the embryonic stage.
We return to 2014 again - a satisfied Beckham, handing out interviews left and right, is preparing to realize, in his words, a childhood dream - the creation of a club whose colors will be defended by Casillas, Vidic, Pepe, Pique, Ibrahimovic and others, and on the coaching bridge all this carnival will certainly be led by David Moyes.
Ambition, no doubt, Napoleonic scale - looks beautiful, but in words. In fact, the opposite is true.
Initially, nothing foreshadowed trouble - Don Garber personally promised to help Bax, and a familiar lawyer, John Alshuler, began to negotiate and promote the project in the city collegium.
David looked for a good place in the port area of Miami, developed a plan, but he heard a resolute “no” from the bureaucrats - allegedly a number of cruise companies claimed the same site to place their offices.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, like mushrooms after rain, the public organization MIA Seaport Alliance “grew up”, fiercely calling for a rebuff to Beckham, motivating dissatisfaction with almost discrimination against ordinary US citizens. It is curious that as soon as the mayors satisfied the "opinion of the people", this organization immediately disappeared.
The mayor of the district, Carlos Jimenez, also hurried into the "assistants" - the official offered a site in the city center, hoping to earn half a million dollars annually on the Beckham consortium, but the football player predictably refused.
Plus, the “oppressed citizens” became active again, but not the working class, but the beau monde - a certain Downtown Neighbors Alliance “bombarded” the mayor with complaints - they say, “the construction will disfigure the view from nearby luxury houses, create traffic jams and ruin the new park.” David had to shrug.
Soon a third option appeared - to build an arena in Little Havana, near the Marlins baseball stadium, but private traders tripped up there too, asking the Miami Beckham United consortium for simply astronomical sums.
Nevertheless, there was a way out, but obviously not the best for David - to build a complex in Overtown, located in the outskirts of the city. Okay, if only this - remoteness from the center - but Overtown is considered a dysfunctional and criminogenic area, where the crime rate is quite high. Whether fans will go there is a rhetorical question, so to speak.
Having bought six acres of land for $19 million to build a 25,000-seat stadium, Bax and company realized they were missing three more. And here Carlos Jimenez, who previously happily approved the construction in Overtown (of course, the infrastructure will be tightened up due to private infusion), at least for now, is powerless.
The mayor said the other day that he would take care of the star's "case" despite the backlash from some city commissioners who prefer to direct "resources to do something good for the community."
In fact, the ex-football player has returned to the initial stage of negotiations, which have been going on for more than three years.
Now it has come to the point that they openly joke about Beckham - social networks the choice of the Overtown area is ridiculed with might and main, and the media reminds of how David, instead of pushing his idea from the first days, hung out on Ryan Seacrest's radio, where he discussed the celebration of St. Valentine's Day.
How much longer to wait, and will Don Garber's patience run out? Garber understands that Beckham has the potential to give even more to MLS as a team bearing his name guarantees a massive upheaval in soccer promotion and the Miami market becomes potentially lucrative.
So far, the head still remains tactful, carefully concealing the duration of the franchise, but what will happen to the twenty-fourth team, it seems, Bax himself does not know for sure.
It should be recalled here that the functionary has already fired a “warning shot”, subtly hinting in December 2016 that MLS, in principle, can do without Beckham. After all, as the saying goes, seven do not wait for one.
David Beckham, whose biography will be considered in this article, is one of the most famous players throughout the history of football. He ended his career just a couple of years ago, and this year he turned 42 years old. Beckham played as a right midfielder, but could also play in central midfield.
Carier start
David Beckham is a footballer who spent most of his career at Manchester United, but he started at a completely different club. Moreover, he managed to visit a large number of youth academies before he ended up at Manchester United.
He was born on May 2, 1975 in London and early childhood became interested in football. At first he played in such semi-professional clubs as Ridgway Rovers or BChSS, but later he first got into the youth academy of the Norwich club, after which he ended up at the Leyton Orient club. At the beginning of 1987, when he was only 12 years old, Beckham was accepted into the Tottenham academy, and a couple of years later he reached his final point, namely Manchester United. There, as a result, David Beckham spent most of his career. The biography of the football player, of course, includes other clubs, but it was Manchester United that became the first for him.
Game for Manchester
David Beckham, whose biography is known to almost every football fan, was a huge talent, and from the very first months at Manchester United they predicted a great future. Already in 1992, when he was only 17 years old, he made his debut in the main team in a League Cup match. However, the next season he did not find a place in the squad, so in 1994 the young Beckham was sent on loan to a small club, Preston North End, which at that time played in the Third Division.
There he played five matches, scored the first two professional goals of his career, and then returned to Manchester United, where he appeared on the field ten more times in the remaining half of the season, also scoring his first goal for this club. Since 1995, the 20-year-old midfielder has become a regular player in the base. He came out in almost every match and worked wonders on the field. Already in 1996, he won his first FA Championship and the first FA Cup, and in 1999 he added to his collection the trophy that every footballer dreams of - the Champions League Cup.
In total, David Beckham, whose biography is not limited to the Manchester United club, spent 389 official matches and scored 83 goals. He became a true Manchester United legend. Largely thanks to him, the club won six FA Championships and two FA Cups during this time. However, in 2003 it was time for a change, and the 28-year-old moved to Real Madrid for 37.5 million euros.
Move to Real Madrid
It's no secret that Real Madrid is one of the strongest clubs in the world, so the transfer of a star of the first magnitude of this magnitude caused a great resonance in society. But Beckham began to work off the money that was paid for him without any problems. In four seasons, he played 155 matches and scored 20 goals. However, his stay at the club was not the best period, so he added only the Spanish Championship to his collection of trophies, and he managed to get it only in the last season in 2007. Then Beckham's contract expired, and he went to work in the United States, where the Los Angeles Galaxy club signed a new agreement with him.
Moving to the USA
It was clear to everyone that Bex's star had already set. Beckham David, whose career turned out to be incredibly bright, continued in the United States, but it was far from the same level of football. The midfielder spent the first year and a half at Galaxy quite successfully, he played in 32 matches and scored 6 goals in them. After that, he received a loan offer at the Italian Milan, which he accepted. In six months at Milan, he played twenty more matches, scoring two goals, after which he returned to the United States.
However, this story did not end just like that: after another six months, 15 matches and two goals, Becks again went to Milan, with whom he spent another half of the season. Naturally, at that age, his condition was already far from ideal, so he did not appear on the field so often. During the second loan, he played 13 matches, but did not score a single goal.
Returning to Galaxy in 2010, Beckham continued to play for the club, playing 118 more matches and scoring 20 goals. During his time at the American club, he helped Galaxy win the MLS Cup twice, win the MLS Championship three times, and also win the MLS playoffs three times. In 2012, when his contract with the club came to an end, Beckham wanted to announce his retirement from football, but received an offer from the French club Paris Saint-Germain, which had recently been acquired by Arab sheiks and needed promotion. And who in the world of football at that time was the brightest representative? Of course Beckham!
End of career at PSG
When he signed a short-term contract with PSG, Beckham was already 38 years old, so no one expected incredible results from him. He was more of a media personality to get attention. But, despite this, he still entered the field 14 times, although he did not score a single goal.
Performances for the national team
Naturally, Beckham has become a legend not only at the club level. He made his debut for England in September 1996 against Moldova. And already in 1998 he went to the World Cup, where he played in three matches and scored his first goal for the national team, which fell on group match against Colombia.
In the championship of the year, Beckham was already a base player and gave three assists in three matches, but this did not help the British to leave the group. Beckham went to the 2002 World Cup already on his arm and helped the national team reach the quarterfinals, scoring one goal and giving three effective passes. At the 2004 European Championship, the British again managed to reach only the quarterfinals, and Beckham gave two assists. Last major tournament for David was the 2006 World Cup, where the England team again stopped at the ¼ final phase, and Beckham again scored one goal and gave three assists.
Beckham played his last match for the national team in October 2009 - it was a qualifying game against the Belarus national team, and there David gave the last assist. In total, he played 115 matches for the national team, scoring 17 goals and giving 38 assists.
After football
Did David Beckham stay in football after retirement? Back in 2010, he made an attempt to try on the position of a coach, or rather an assistant coach. He entered coaching staff Fabio Capello, who was in charge of the England team at the time. However, Beckham held his position for only three months, after which he left the post and never returned to coaching.
Personal life
David and Victoria Beckham You are one of the most famous celebrity couples in the world. They met when David was still playing at Manchester United. Soon David and Victoria Beckham (then Adams) got married. In 1999, their first son, Brooklyn, was born. David Beckham, whose family is already exemplary, did not stop at one child. In 2002, the second son, Romeo, was born, and in 2005, the third son, Cruz. David Beckham, whose personal life is public, still wanted a daughter, and in 2011 his wish came true: the couple had a baby Harper.