11 January 2007

The Next Pele

Adios! Becks Heads For LA (Skynews, 1/11/07)
David Beckham says he is leaving Real Madrid to sign for LA Galaxy.

The former England captain will leave the Spanish club at the end of the season and sign a five-year deal for the US side, believed to be worth £128m.
You can't fool me. LA doesn't have a football team.

5 comments:

Oroborous said...

How in the world can an American pro soccer team afford to pay anyone $ 46 million a year ??!!

Anonymous said...

I believe that the MLS teams share salaries in cases like this, and all MLS teams are contributing to bringing him in.

Oroborous said...

Courtesy of Brit:

"By Mihir Bose, BBC sports editor

"Insiders I have spoken to have painted a fascinating picture of the astonishing $250m (£128m), five-year deal [that David Beckham] has signed with the Los Angeles team.

"Indeed Beckham could earn more than $250m, perhaps as much as $275m, over the period of his contract.

"I understand his yearly income from next season, when he leaves Spain for America, will be:

An annual salary of $10m

His existing sponsorship contracts with his four sponsors - Motorola, Pepsi, Gillette and Volkswagen - are estimated to be worth $25m

His merchandising shirt sales will bring in $10m

His share of the club profits: $10m

"That adds up to $55m. Multiply it by five and you get $275m."

David said...

Assuming, of course, that the MLS is in business five years from now.

Brit said...

Presumably to spend that much money the MLS must have a reason to think that some serious income is just around the corner, and that Beckham will be the catalyst for success.

Or they're just idiots.