It seemed like the perfect match: soccer's most celebrated star playing for the world's most glamorous club.
Ten months after David Beckham joined Real Madrid, both sides are wondering where it went wrong.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The so-called "Galacticos" of Real Madrid are soccer's Dream Team -- Brazilians Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo of Portugal and Spain's Raul Gonzalez.
Into the mix stepped Beckham, the England captain and cultural icon.
After a decent start, his play has slumped. Off the field, his image as a devoted family man has been sullied by two widely reported extramarital affairs.
Regarded as the world's best club at the start of the season, Real Madrid will finish without a major title for the first time since 1999.
All this has led to strong speculation that Beckham could be leaving after just one season.
Newspapers in both countries suggest he may return to England to join Chelsea, where billionaire club president Roman Abramovich has spent millions to stock his club with new players.
Sold to Real Madrid by Manchester United for about US$40 million, reports suggest it might cost Chelsea US$70 million to buy him. Madrid president Florentino Perez is reported eager to rebuild the team and may sell Beckham to raise funds.
Beckham, 29, is also reported to want to rejoin his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria, and his sons, Brooklyn and Romeo, who remained in England rather than move to Spain.
Madrid has said it intends to keep Beckham, who has three years left on his contract, for at least for one more season. But a year ago the club had stated it had no plans to sign Beckham, only to buy him away from Manchester United.
"We're happy with him," Madrid sports director Jorge Valdano said. "It's true he's had personal problems connected with his importance for the press, but our opinion is that he has generally played at a high level and his signing was a positive one."
Soccer writer Jose Samano of Spain's leading newspaper El Pais believes Beckham will stay -- although he reflects widespread doubts in Spain about the midfielder's worth on the field.
"He'll stay unless his personal situation requires him to leave. Madrid would like to make use of his marketing possibilities for another season," Samano said. "But of all the 'galacticos' he is the one with the least talent. He has contributed nothing at all."
It's a far cry from the sweltering day in early July when Beckham was presented to 500 journalists from 25 countries at Madrid's basketball arena in a ceremony televised live around the world.
Madrid seemed overjoyed at signing soccer's most marketable player. In a nod toward Michael Jordan, Beckham decided to wear No. 23.
Perez said Beckham had cast a "global spell." Beckham called it a "dream come true."
The Englishman's game revolves around two special skills: his precise, twisting free kicks and his ability to cross the ball accurately from the right side. With Figo already playing on the ride side, Beckham was shifted to central midfield.
Many doubt he is right for the job.
"He doesn't think quickly enough for a central midfielder," said Luis Aragones, the coach at Mallorca and Spain's most senior coach.
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