long live football

At the end of August, the major leagues reopened. In the starting list of Villarreal for the first game of the league announced by Real Madrid, Beckham's position was taken away by Reyes who suddenly changed to play on the right. Spanish media Enthusiastic about this, they tried their best to interview Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello.Capello's answer was just playing Tai Chi: "Yes, I didn't let him (Beckham) start because I couldn't let 8 players play at the same time."

But the bad luck is far more than that. Beckham is also not included in the squad announced by the England national team for the friendly match with Greece.

After the World Cup in Germany, at the press conference when Beckham resigned as the captain of his national team, the heartthrob once said: "Although I am no longer the captain, I will not refuse any call from the national team. I hope I can still play for England."

Because of Beckham's words, many media and fans thought that he would continue to be called up to the national team, but at this time, the new national team coach McClaren who took over Eriksson's position directly excluded him from the England 25. In the roster, this means that Beckham is not only absent from the game against Greece, but also from all the 2008 European Cup qualifiers and warm-up matches-is it true that the 31-year-old heartthrob will bid farewell to three years old forever? Lions?

English football is talking about it.

McLaren didn't hold back his elation. He quickly stood up and said: "Yes, the door of the England team will not be opened to him. I mean closed forever."

Regarding the reason why McLaren purged Beckham, there are two speculations in English football: one is that the new official has three fires, and McLaren needs to purify one or two superstars in the national team to establish his own prestige and status , Beckham, who has been criticized a lot after the World Cup, is undoubtedly a good choice.The second is that McLaren hopes that the England national team he leads can change its style of play, becoming faster and more capable of breaking through the flanks. Beckham obviously does not meet the tactical requirements of his system.

But no matter which one, the reality has already been created, and Beckham may really have to say goodbye to the England team forever.

For this ending, many England fans felt sorry for it, but there were also many football commentators and fans who laughed happily: "The vases in the England team have finally been cleaned out! The Three Lions can sweep the continent from now on!"

Obviously, although the media in other European countries attribute the frequent defeats of the England national team in major competitions to "strength reasons and luck factors" (the British tabloids are obviously keen to add halos to their players, they blow themselves too much ——Many national media disdainfully said), but the fans in this land of England are keen to find a scapegoat for the national team. They found Cristiano Ronaldo abroad, and they found Eriksson and Beckham domestically. Both have now officially left the national team.

However, what the media always get is second-hand information, and the one who gets the news before them is of course Beckham himself.

Beckham's spokesman Simon Oliveira issued a statement on behalf of the former, expressing his understanding, support and best wishes for McLaren's decision.

But this official statement undoubtedly concealed Beckham's own grief, because his wife Victoria then stood up and criticized McLaren angrily to the media: "David was so sad that he cried when he received that call. "She said fiercely: "Although I shouldn't say that, I can't help it-McLaren is really ruthless, and the things he did are so heartless!"

Both club and national team careers have encountered bottlenecks, and Beckham has fallen into a huge hesitation.

He thought he might need some advice from others.

This is why Beckham finally called Karl after hesitating.

After listening to his friend talk about his troubles, Karl asked in a weird tone: "So, actually, you want to find a team with good strength, able to play in European competitions, willing to give you the main position and not coveting your portrait rights." team, but worried that you can’t find it?”

"Actually, no less than ten clubs have contacted me, but I can't reach a consensus with them." Beckham muttered, "To put it bluntly, almost all of them came for my commercial value. Yes. Yes, I am already 31 years old, but I should retire immediately after all! There is a team recommended by my agent and Victoria. They meet all my requirements, but... "

"only?"

"This team is not in Europe."

Carl was silent for a while: "You really forgot that there is a best option right under your nose, right?"

"The best option? Impossible." Beckham rubbed his face and said dryly, "Sergeant Ferguson will not let me return to Manchester United."

"I'm talking about me, David, not Manchester United."

"Munich 1860?!" Beckham almost exclaimed, "Are you kidding me!"

"No, I'm serious." Carl's voice was rare, and he became shy: "Actually, when I manipulated Michael's transfer, I already had this idea, and I even discussed it with him a few words. Said that you will definitely agree, but I am a little uncertain, so... well, it is not today or tomorrow, I am going to mention it to you sooner or later."

Now it was Beckham's turn to fall silent.

1860 Munich, even if it wasn't Karl's team, its exposure in European football in the past two seasons has been enough for Beckham to notice this team - there are the most passionate fans in the world, the best The stadium, the healthiest league environment, the most fantastic performance in the league for two consecutive years... Maybe the Lions team is not as famous as those giants, but it can win the Champions League next season just like Real Madrid, Milan, Manchester United and other teams Contest.

Karl is right, this is really the best option Beckham has ever encountered.

but……

There is a huge dilemma between Beckham and Munich 1860, or between "heartbeat" and all suitors.

"You know what I want, right? [-]% portrait rights." Beckham said in a weak voice, "There are still enough appearances."

Beckham felt that his subtext was already obvious: If you want me to join, 1860 Munich will have to give up a lot of money every year, and use a 31-year-old veteran as the main force, do you understand?

How much is Beckham's portrait rights worth?No one knows this better than himself.

Last year, that is, in 2005, Beckham's annual income was 2750 million euros, ranking first among all football players. Throwing away his annual salary in Real Madrid and nearly 600 euros, the remaining 2150 million euros were all Proceeds from commercial endorsements.

And the 2150 million euros is only half of Beckham's portrait rights income, because the other 50% of his portrait rights are in the hands of Real Madrid.In other words, if Beckham can own 100% of his portrait rights, his annual income will immediately double to nearly 5000 million euros.

Even if a club paid 2000 million euros for Beckham's transfer, as long as they have the portrait rights of Beckham in their hands, they will be able to pay back the cost in one year, and then it will be pure profit income.This is why so many teams want to get Beckham, but they want to get his image rights more: money.

Beckham waited for the answer with trepidation.

And Karl didn't make him wait long: "I know." He said gently: "I understand all your requirements, and I have satisfied them all—are there any other conditions?"

The opportunity was at hand, but Beckham was knocked out.

After a few meaningless notes, he said as if sleepwalking: "Oh, me, I may need to talk to my team."

"You need to think about it carefully." Carl said pointedly: "Go and discuss with Victoria. I will wait for your news."

After hearing the hang up sound from the other end of the phone, Carl raised his wrist and looked at his watch: August 8th, there is still one week before the summer transfer window closes.

Carl frowned.Beckham’s voice on the phone allowed him to imagine the astonished expression on the other party’s face and predict the final outcome—Beckham will come to Munich 1860, for sure.

But Karl didn't want the other party to imagine him as selfless and lofty. He was not a god, let alone a philanthropist.

Although on the surface, he gave up the visible benefits of tens of millions of euros per year (many clubs may laugh at them when the transfer is completed), but don't forget the status quo of Munich 1860-they have strength , Ambitious, but not well-known, and has little influence in other leagues.The joining of Beckham can bring the attention of global media fans and greatly improve the status and image of the team. Sometimes this is a benefit that even the euro cannot buy.

Carl pays more attention to long-term interests than short-term profits.

……

Beckham immediately got on the phone with Victoria, his wife and mentor in his career.

At first, Victoria thought it was a call to tell her. Her husband was depressed, so he wanted to talk to her or something.So she said a lot of things in life to help the other party solve their troubles, such as what happened in Brooklyn at school, Romeo always refused to eat well in the morning, and spread mayonnaise everywhere, and Cruz would be distressed all night Wake her up three times...Of course there are other important points, for example, the fashion brand DVB of the husband and wife has officially started in the United States, and it has a good momentum of development and so on.

But Victoria's words didn't make Beckham feel better. To be honest, it got a little worse.Because when it comes to his move to the MLS, his wife is always the most active one.She took care of the children for him, took care of the company and the foundation, made connections with the American team, and even found a house in Los Angeles... But now he is planning to betray her kindness, which makes him feel extremely guilty.

However, sooner or later the truth must be told.

"I'm not sure if I really should leave Europe," Beckham confessed to his wife.

Victoria is a smart woman: "What's going on, David?"

"It's Karl, I have received his invitation..." Beckham described everything to his wife.

Victoria was silent.

Beckham is now more and more sure that going to Munich is a better choice than going to Los Angeles-since they can get 100% portrait rights, why not go to a top league team that can play in the Champions League?After all, football players rely on their performance to make a living. If his competitive state is maintained for a longer period of time, his commercial value can also be continuously developed, and he may be able to reach a higher level.But Victoria is so keen on Hollywood, and even went to help him lay the foundation two years in advance, he couldn't just veto all of this so simply and easily.

After a long silence, Victoria said, "Do what you want."

Beckham was surprised that his wife let go so neatly and generously.

"I really want you to come to Los Angeles and take care of our business with me. You know, it's always a bit difficult to run a big company with me as a woman." Victoria said, "But starting this year, I don't need it very much." You - don't be sad, don't rush to rebuttal, I'm not angry, but I found better help. Anthea, yes, and her brother and a few friends, they helped me a lot , This is also the reason why DVB can quickly gain a foothold in the American fashion circle-I said that I am not being angry! I have to say that in Hollywood, David, they are really more useful than you..."

After finishing the phone call with his wife, Beckham was really in a mixed mood.

But thinking of the final result, he should be happy.

……

The Munich 1860 board did not expect Karl to bring them another surprise after Owen.

Although some shareholders are dissatisfied with the outflow of Beckham's portrait rights, but under the premise that heartthrobs are willing to join, as Karl said, everything else is negotiable.

After privately negotiating a mutually satisfactory contract with Beckham's agent team, 1860 Munich formally made an offer to Real Madrid.

600 million euros to buy out the remaining one-year contract between Beckham and Real Madrid.

After learning that a new club wanted to buy Beckham, Real Madrid chairman Calderon reluctantly raised a little interest to look at the offer list (God, he has been surprised and disappointed countless times this summer. The application submitted in the last few days may not have a good ending), but after seeing the bright "600 million" under the transfer application, Calderon couldn't help but curse: "600 million euros to buy Baker Ham? Is this club playing us? No! No now!"

You must know that in the past half a month, Real Madrid has received countless offers related to Beckham, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Everton, Sunderland, West Ham, Tottenham, etc., West Ham United... Although the lowest among them is only 800 million, there are not a few teams that bid more than 1000 million. The highest is West Ham United's 1600 million euros. Enough for backcourt players.

But a second later, Calderon conveyed his intention to his secretary: "Reject, but don't say too much, just say that you are not satisfied with the price. If they are sincere, they will make another offer."

Munich 1860 was indeed very sincere. They made an offer to Real Madrid again that afternoon, but... it was still 600 million.

Real Madrid didn't put on a pretense this time, they directly returned a "1800 million euros" in the past, and said that they would not talk about it below this price.

The next day, along with the third offer from 1860 Munich, it was Beckham's depth charge on Spanish football that reached Calderon's desk.

"Glamorous" first applied for a transfer to the club, and then accepted an interview with "Marca", saying: "I was very happy in the first few years in Madrid, but now, this happiness is gradually gone. Yes Yes, often sitting on the bench makes me feel that I am not needed by the team, I want to go to a place that needs me more..."

Spanish football exploded: Beckham took the initiative to expose that he wanted to leave Real Madrid!

Calderon finally came to his senses at this time: Munich 1860 must have secretly communicated with Beckham for the song, so their quotation is so low!And now, Beckham has also begun to unite with the media to put pressure on the club!

Beckham expressed to several media that he wanted to leave Real Madrid. A reporter from England's "Mirror" asked him: "If you say you want to leave when the transfer window is only a few days away, what if you want to leave Real Madrid?" If you don't find a new club, aren't you afraid that Real Madrid will block you next season?"

Beckham's answer seemed a little fearless: "Now that I'm sitting on the bench, how bad can it be?"

Yes, Beckham’s current reliance is Calderon’s previous threat to him, “If we can’t reach an agreement, we’ll all lose.” It’s just that “Glamorous” is now treating others in his own way. body.

If you have money, you don't make a bastard.Calderon didn't hate Beckham to the point where he would rather reject tens of millions of euros and countless intangible losses than block him. The chairman of Real Madrid only wants to make as much as he can.

Real Madrid officially entered the stage of bargaining with Munich 1860.

Since Beckham has already stated to the club that "I will not go anywhere except Munich 1860", Real Madrid has very little room for change in the transfer fee. The final agreed price between them and Munich 1860 is 800 million euros.

……

On August 2006, 8, the last day of the closing of the transfer window, major European media broke out shocking news: "Beckham transfers to Munich 31!" ! ! "Professional media were so surprised that they put three exclamation marks on the headline, not to mention the expressions of the fans when they saw the news.

April Fool's joke?no.

"The Times" first asked a positive answer from Beckham: "Yes, I am already packing my luggage and preparing to fly to Munich. I signed a new three-year contract with them."

In Germany, the newspaper with the most comprehensive coverage of transfer details is Bild.

"The three-year salary of the heartthrob to join the Lions may reach 5000 million euros" - in this headline, Harold Biermann revealed: "The reason why Beckham chose Munich 1860 is because The Lions are the most sincere of all suitors. They voluntarily gave up Beckham's portrait rights. The German "Financial Market" estimated in July that Beckham's annual income in 7 was 2006 million euros. With all his portrait rights, his annual income will be doubled to about 3000 million, so this three-year transfer contract may bring about 5000 million euros to Beckham income."

"As for Munich 1860, although they gave up Beckham's portrait rights, in return, the latter chose to join with a reduced salary when signing the contract-an annual salary of 300 million euros, half of his salary at Real Madrid. However. You and I both know that compared to Beckham’s business profits, millions of euros are nothing. In short, neither Munich 1860 nor Beckham have lost money. This is a win-win cooperation .”

Finally, "Bild" also revealed the news: "Beckham will fly to Munich today (August 8) for a medical examination, and then hold a meeting tomorrow. All journalists and media who are interested in him, start now. Hurry up and act!"

If Owen's transfer to Munich 1860 shocked Europe, then Beckham's arrival on the last day of the transfer period brought global attention.

Perhaps some numbers can better illustrate the sensation of this matter:

Beckham's transfer made headlines in 165 countries around the world in the following week.

The Munich 1860 Club received hundreds of interview calls, including influential TV news networks such as the BBC and CNN, as well as global print media such as The Times and New York Times.

Hundreds of media requested to participate in Beckham's meeting, and 611 reporters were finally confirmed, representing 121 media, 73 of which were foreign media, and some reporters even came from countries such as Asia, North America, and South America. Media participation record for all German football stars when they joined.

The meeting originally did not set up a fan meeting session. Due to the strong voice of the club fans, 1860 Munich had to agree to pass some fan applications.About 600 places were sold out in less than half an hour after the official website opened the application page.

After the rapid increase in popularity, it is gratifying that the Munich 1860 club quickly saw the economic benefits that followed: all the team's home tickets for the new season, even those that were originally disliked by fans because of their remote location, It was also sold out quickly, and all the reserved tickets for the Champions League group stage...sold out, all the tickets were sold out, and the ticket revenue for this season alone was as high as 3000 million euros.And the money has all been drilled into the pockets of the club.

Within an hour after the announcement, the 1860 Munich flagship store in the urban area sold more than 74.95 brand-new No. 23 jerseys worth 300 euros that hadn’t even printed Beckham’s name on them.

After 24 hours, all the stocks in Germany were sold out, and there were more than 1 pieces.Because the store of Munich 1860 is only opened in Germany, the official website has received many messages and emails, some of which are from the store asking for additional inventory, and the other part are from fans from all over the world. They roared: "We There is no your specialty store here, hurry up and open the online shopping function!"

……

Beckham's meeting lasted 15 minutes, which once again broke the record when the club's star joined.

The atmosphere was very enthusiastic from the beginning to the end, but every major participant - the club president, the team coach and even Beckham himself couldn't speak a few words into the microphone in a serious manner, because as long as they opened their mouths, the media and The fans will send out wave after wave, inquiries and excitement.

The cheers at the scene reached a climax when club chairman Orr and Beckham showed off the No. 23 jersey that the latter will wear.

Then, wearing a brand new blue and white jersey and shorts, Beckham arrived at the training ground, where he posed for the media and performed his famous "moon scimitar" and ball juggling, talking to many fans Signed handshake, in the end, what Beckham said the most was "Hallo" and "Danke" in German.

……

When the hustle and bustle caused by Beckham completely dissipated, the Bundesliga has gone on for 3 rounds.

1860 Munich has a record of two wins and one loss, ranking fifth in the standings.

In the fourth round of the league, they will play against Frankfurt at home.

An hour before the game, Karl submitted the team's starting and substitute lists.

"Beckham appeared in the warm-up area, wearing the No. 23 jersey, continuing his tradition in Real Madrid." The commentator Gaynor talked eloquently: "However, according to some gossip in some newspapers, after Beckham joined At Munich 1860, Karl Alston once said that he would choose his own jersey number, and the midfielder Lars Bender, who wore the No. 7 jersey in the locker room, showed his respect and said that if Beckham wanted to If he wanted, he would take the initiative to give up the number 7, but Beckham finally chose 23."

"Is it unwilling to win people's love? Or do you want to seal the number 7 forever with the years at Manchester United and never restart it? Perhaps only Beckham himself knows the answer."

"After warming up, Beckham returned to the bench and had a pleasant conversation with Auston on the coach's bench. It seems that the friendship between the two is still good, but it has not affected the interests of the team. Because although the heartthrob has joined and the fans and media are full of expectations for his debut, Auston still put Beckham on the bench for this game, not in the starting lineup."

"It's just that, will Beckham play in this game? Or will he sit on the bench until he is fully integrated into the team's tactics?"