Beckham's $250 mn deal could change US fans
|
|
|
| Posted
:
Sat, 13 Jan 2007 05:45:01 GMT |
| By
:
DPA |
| Category
:
Sports |
| News Alerts by
Email ( click
here ) |
|
Sports News |
Home
|
|
|
|
Los Angeles, Jan 13 (DPA) The signing of David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy in an estimated $250-million deal could be a vital move to turn the US into a soccer nation.The LA Galaxy described the deal as the 'biggest in sporting history' but said the staggering amount was justified by Beckham's potential to transform football into a mainstream American sport.'David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally,' said Tim Leiweke, president of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which runs Galaxy.'David is truly the only individual who can build a bridge between soccer in America and the rest of the world,' he added.The shift to America of the former England captain and Real Madrid star was enabled by a rule change by Major League Soccer (MLS), the main football league in the US, which just last year allowed each team to exceed the team salary cap of $2 million with a single player whose salary falls out of the budget.The new rule was nicknamed the 'Beckham law' by fans of the sport.LA Galaxy refused to reveal the 'financial details' of Beckham's contract but added, 'his earnings are likely to run into hundreds of millions of dollars over the five-year period when all incomes are collated'.According to The Guardian, Beckham can expect to earn $25 million per year from endorsements, $10 million in salary, $10 million in shirt sales and a further share of the club's profits.European teams have stricter rules governing how much endorsement income a player may keep.Beckham's move to Los Angeles has been the subject of persistent rumours for months, fuelled by the location of his summer soccer academy in the city and the attraction of the showbiz capital for the sporting superstar and his singer wife Victoria Beckham, who was previously Posh Spice of the Spice Girls.The rumours went into overdrive recently when Victoria was spotted house hunting in ritzy Beverly Hills and other glamorous neighbourhoods.Beckham will not be the first football superstar in the US. Former Germany coach and playing great Juergen Klinsmann already lives in Los Angeles. (c) Indo-Asian News Service
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Beckham transforming football into a mainstream American sport?
By:
Marcus ,
Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:12:28 GMT
|
|
Look, I am by no means a professional when it comes to football, but from what I see, there is no way for Beckham to play such a big role in football history. Liked it or not, the only reason he's comming to USA is because he's getting too old to compete in Europe. He'd last for a year or two, the most. In USA... well he could play up to his fourties.
And besides everything, that's an awful big salary to give a veteran like Beckham. I've followed Landon Donnovan's careeer, and well... he is more justified to that salary than David. At least he's younger and has greater potential.
|
|
|
|
|
