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Beckham arrives in Madrid, completes Real deal

David Beckham passed his examination by Real Madrid doctors. Real Madrid/Getty Images

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- It's official. David Beckham on Tuesday joined Real Madrid, signing a four-year deal in the presence of club president Florentino Perez and other club officials.

After signing the contract at the club's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Beckham thanked Perez, and expressed his happiness at joining the Spanish powerhouse. The England captain greeted sports director Jorge Valdano and hugged new coach Carlos Queiroz, who also joined from Manchester United.

Beckham arrived for the signing at 1530 GMT, accompanied by his wife Victoria, a former member of the Spice Girls pop band, and his elder son Brooklyn. He wore a white jacket and shirt and blue jeans ripped at the left knee.

The club's new star arrived in Spain's capital Tuesday and passed a battery of medical tests -- the final step in his euro35 million (US$40 million) transfer from United.

Beckham is to be officially presented as a Real Madrid player on Wednesday.

After Tuesday's medical tests, Alfonso del Corral, head of the Spanish team's medical services, emerged to tell reporters Beckham had passed. "There is nothing to stop him from playing for Real Madrid," he said.

Del Corral said the tests were aimed at ruling out any kind of serious injury, and said the foot injury Beckham suffered last year right before the World Cup had "consolidated."

The medical came courtesy of private health company Sanitas, one of Real Madrid's three sponsors.

As Beckham arrived at the hospital, patients in pajamas and staff stepped onto balconies to glimpse the soccer star, who smiled and posed for photographs. He did not speak to journalists on his way in or out of the facility.

Beckham arrived at the military airport of Torrejon de Ardoz aboard a private plane from London's Stansted Airport shortly after 1 p.m. (1100 GMT) and was immediately hurried into a waiting Audi with tinted windows, escorted by police motorcycles and cars en route to the hospital.

The star midfielder was accompanied by his wife, who, together with Brooklyn, arrived later at their hotel in downtown Madrid.

The midfielder is expected to dine at the hotel Tuesday evening with club officials, including president Florentino Perez.

The Beckhams will occupy a euro1,800 (US$2,077) a night suite overlooking a monument to Christopher Columbus. El Pais reported Tuesday that the hotel has provided Beckham with the suite free of charge.

The England captain's unveiling Wednesday at the stadium of Real Madrid's basketball team, the 5,000-capacity Raimundo Saporta Pavilion will be broadcast live at noon (1000 GMT). It will coincide with TV prime-time in Asia, where Beckham was received as a hero in his recent 10-day promotional tour.

Following a welcoming speech by Perez, Beckham will be presented with Madrid's white shirt by honorary president Alfredo di Stefano. The shirt is not expected to bear a number.

Immediately after his presentation, Beckham will go to Madrid's nearby Ciudad Deportiva training ground where crowds of photographers will get their a first chance to capture him clad in his new uniform.

The player will not give a news conference, although the club said his comments will be available on Real Madrid's Web site and its TV station.

Even though the scale of Beckham's arrival is unprecedented for a soccer star, Madrid has sought to play down the event.

"We're only going to present another player," the club's general director Manuel Redondo was quoted Tuesday as saying in the leading national El Pais.

In an apparent attempt to ensure its presentation of the world's most marketable player is a sporting rather than a show business occasion, Madrid said it rejected applications, estimated at 500, from the celebrity press to attend Beckham's unveiling on Wednesday.

"Madrid would have committed a mistake if it allowed the presentation of a magnificent player like David to become a circus in which he could be asked about his relationship with his wife or his tastes when it comes to adding to his wardrobe," the daily El Mundo quoted an unnamed member of Madrid's board of directors as saying Tuesday.

However, the scale of the event can be gauged by the total number of accreditations from the sporting press, which at 500 is some three hundred more than attended the presentation of Brazilian ace Ronaldo 10 months ago.

Beckham is the fourth major soccer star -- and the most marketable -- to join Madrid in successive summers since Perez was elected president in July 2000.

Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo arrived shortly after Perez took charge, French star Zinedine Zidane arrived the following year and Ronaldo signed last August.

Beckham is due to leave the Spanish capital Wednesday and will not be required to return until July 24, when his new team flies out to the Chinese city of Kunming to begin its tour of the Far East.

Madrid will play four friendlies under new coach Queiroz.

Its opening game is against the Dragon Team in Beijing on Aug. 2, followed by a game three days later with FC Tokyo in Tokyo. On Aug. 8 Madrid plays China in Hong Kong. Its final game is against Malaysia on Aug. 10 in Kuala Lumpur.

Beckham's first match on Spanish soil is expected to come a week later when Madrid visits Mallorca in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, which pits the league titlist with the Copa del Rey winner.

The return leg is a week later at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, a game which may provide Beckham with his home debut.

 

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