Many Real Madrid fans at the team's training ground on Wednesday expressed delight with the signing of England captain David Beckham, although a few cast doubts on whether the costly midfielder was a necessary acquisition.
Beckham dominated conversations between some 250 supporters who endured sweltering heat to watch the team prepare for Sunday's title decider against Athletic de Bilbao. The midfielder is expected to arrive in Madrid on July 1.
PHOTO: AFP
"It's great that he's coming. The more stars we have the better for the team. Besides, he's so handsome," said Marta Cartagena, who was with her identical twin sister Cristina. They are 18.
The sisters said that they would not buy a soccer shirt bearing Beckham's name, one of the club's means of recouping its US$40.9-million outlay on the player. Madrid is reported to have sold around 932,000 replica shirts last year -- 200,000 sporting the name of the club's previous big-name signing, Ronaldo.
"We've already got Raul [Gonzalez] and [Fernando] Morientes shirts. We like them better," Marta Cartagena said.
A former Spanish international striker, Manuel de Costa, who had brought a kids' soccer team to watch the training session, said that Beckham would improve the team's level of play.
"He is a marvelous player and I've no worries about the marketing. That comes second. He will fit into the team's system," said de Costa, who was a former teammate of Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque at Cordoba.
Jose Vicente Ortega, a club member for the last 14 years, recalled two trademark free kicks by Beckham -- the goal which secured a berth in the 2002 World Cup finals in the last minute of England's qualifier against Greece and another against Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Old Trafford this season.
"Beckham is very effective with free kicks, he centers the ball very well and will add to Madrid's prestige abroad. And he'll also sell us a lot of shirts. He's going to be very good for Madrid," he said.
Madrid's safety officer Julio Cendal told Spanish news agency Efe on Tuesday that the arrival of the world's most marketable player at the start of July would force Madrid to step up its security.
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