Editing David Beckham (section)

===Real Madrid===
====2003–2004: Becoming a ''Galáctico''====
{{Quote box|width=28%|align=right|quote="He is a great player who is going to become part of the club's great history. He is a man of our times and a symbol of modern-day stardom and what is certain is [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] have signed Beckham because he's a great footballer and a very dedicated professional. His team spirit is unsurpassed and he is one of the best English players of all-time and if only because of that he is with us."|source=—Real Madrid President [[Florentino Pérez]] during Beckham's unveiling.<ref name="Real unveil Beckham">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3037824.stm|title=Real unveil Beckham|work=BBC Sport|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-date=9 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209175056/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3037824.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
As the summer 2003 transfer window approached, Manchester United appeared keen to sell Beckham to [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Beckham to stay in Spain |work=The Guardian |date=11 June 2003 |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,974864,00.html |access-date=24 May 2006 |location=London |first=Daniel |last=Taylor |archive-date=3 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103212615/http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,974864,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the two clubs even announced that they reached a deal for Beckham's transfer,<ref>{{cite news|title=Barcelona's bid for Man Utd star begs questions |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/gabriele_marcotti/news/2003/06/12/marcotti_insider/ |publisher=CNNSI.com |date=12 June 2003 |access-date=3 March 2011 |first=Gabriele |last=Marcotti |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040709085103/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/gabriele_marcotti/news/2003/06/12/marcotti_insider |archive-date=9 July 2004 }}</ref> but instead he joined reigning Spanish champions [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] for {{Euro|37 million}} on a four-year contract.<ref>Equivalent to, at the time, £25&nbsp;million or US$41&nbsp;million.</ref> Beckham was the latest signing in the ''[[Galácticos]]'' era of global stars signed by club president [[Florentino Pérez]] every summer.<ref>{{cite web |title=2001&nbsp;– present&nbsp;– Real Madrid surpasses the century mark |work=Real Madrid C.F. - Web Oficial |url=http://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football/2001-2010-the-ninth-with-zidane-beckham-ronaldo-and-figo |publisher=Real Madrid CF |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-date=22 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122115453/https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football/2001-2010-the-ninth-with-zidane-beckham-ronaldo-and-figo |url-status=live }}</ref> The news came as a bitter blow to the newly elected Barcelona president [[Joan Laporta]], who based much of his presidential campaign on signing Beckham.<ref>{{cite news |title=Beckham joins Real Madrid |work=BBC Sport |date=18 June 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/front_page/2998868.stm |access-date=25 July 2010 |archive-date=25 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725060554/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/front_page/2998868.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The transfer to Real Madrid was announced in mid-June and formally completed on 1 July 2003, making Beckham the third Englishman to play for the club, after [[Laurie Cunningham]] and [[Steve McManaman]], the latter of whom he succeeded in his position. Following a successful medical on 2 July, Beckham was unveiled in front of 500 accredited journalists from 25 countries at the club's basketball facility, where he was handed the famous white shirt by former Real Madrid player [[Alfredo Di Stéfano]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Real unveil Beckham |work=BBC Sport |date=2 July 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3037824.stm |access-date=25 July 2010 |archive-date=2 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002170633/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3037824.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Although Beckham had worn the number seven shirt for Manchester United and England, he was unable to wear it at Madrid as it was assigned to club captain [[Raúl (footballer)|Raúl]]. Beckham decided to wear number 23 instead, citing his admiration of basketball player [[Michael Jordan]], who also wore number 23.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/netnotes/article/0,,990894,00.html |title=The number 23 |work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=3 June 2003 |access-date=9 June 2007 |first=Sally |last=Bolton |archive-date=8 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108152949/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jul/03/netnotes.sallybolton |url-status=live }}</ref> On sales of Beckham-related merchandise following his arrival at Real, an Adidas spokesman stated: "Put Beckham's name on any product and Real Madrid didn't stop selling".<ref name="Mania"/>

[[File:Beckham zidane.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Beckham (top) and [[Zinedine Zidane]] at Real Madrid in 2003]]
In the week before Beckham's presentation, Real named [[Carlos Queiroz]] as their new head coach; Queiroz had spent the previous season as Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United. In late-July 2003, the club went on a tour of the [[Far East]] as part of pre-season training, but also to cash in on Beckham's huge marketing appeal in Asia, where he enjoyed tremendous following. Comparing his reception upon arriving at [[Kunming Changshui International Airport|Kunming Airport]] in south China to [[Beatlemania]], ''Marca'' ran the headline, "Beckham-mania in China".<ref name="Mania"/> After the opening game in Beijing the tour featured games in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Bangkok. Real's brand recognition in that part of the globe was already well established as the club made financially successful trips to Asia during previous off-seasons. The presence of a global marketing icon such as Beckham, however, made this particular tour a financial smash for ''los Merengues''.<ref name="Mania">{{cite news |title=Beckham-mania in China on Real Madrid's 2003 Asia tour |url=https://www.marca.com/en/football/real-madrid/2019/07/17/5d2ee2d046163f6e7f8b45ba.html |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=Marca |archive-date=3 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003111927/https://www.marca.com/en/football/real-madrid/2019/07/17/5d2ee2d046163f6e7f8b45ba.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shortly after his transfer to Real, Beckham ended his relationship with agent Tony Stephens of [[Live Nation Entertainment|SFX Europe]], who had guided him through his career until that point, including helping to engineer Beckham's move from Manchester to Madrid. Beckham signed on with [[Simon Fuller]] and his company [[19 Entertainment]], which already managed the career of Victoria.<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.77</ref> Beckham appointed close friend [[Terry Byrne]] to be his personal manager.<ref name="galaxy-millions"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3229703.stm |title=Beckham bags Watford man |work=BBC Sport |date=31 October 2003 |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-date=2 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202093253/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3229703.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Quote box|width=28%|align=right|quote="We knew before he was a good player, but we did not expect him to be such an influential player, to show such commitment to the team spirit. The way he runs for everything, the way he tries his best. He has everyone's respect."|source=—[[Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo]] speaking about Beckham in October 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/2423493/Beckham-has-won-everyones-respect.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/2423493/Beckham-has-won-everyones-respect.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='Beckham has won everyone's respect'|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=6 September 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}}
In late-August 2003, Real Madrid won the [[2003 Supercopa de España|Spanish Super Cup]] over two legs versus [[RCD Mallorca|Mallorca]], with Beckham scoring the final goal in a 3–0 return leg win at home, thus setting the stage for the start of the league season. Playing in a star-laden team which included three former [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] recipients, [[Zinedine Zidane]], [[Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo]] and [[Luís Figo]], in addition to [[Roberto Carlos]], [[Raúl (footballer)|Raúl]] and [[Iker Casillas]], Beckham did not require much time to settle in, scoring five times in his first 16 matches (including a goal less than three minutes into his La Liga debut). Queiroz mostly favoured the adaptable 5–3–2 formation, with two fullbacks [[Míchel Salgado]] and Roberto Carlos, often joining the attack down the wings, while Beckham played on the right of the three-man midfield, alongside Zidane and Figo.<ref name="2003–04 Real Madrid">{{cite web |url=http://www.bdfutbol.com/en/t/t2003-042.html |title=2003–04 Real Madrid |publisher=Bdfutbol.com |access-date=10 June 2012 |archive-date=17 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017100107/http://www.bdfutbol.com/en/t/t2003-042.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Real Madrid were runners-up in the [[2003–04 Copa del Rey|Copa del Rey]], were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage and finished the league season in fourth place, meaning the team, whose president Pérez expected them to win either the Spanish league or the Champions League each season, did not match expectations. In July 2004, while Beckham was in pre-season training in Spain, an intruder scaled a wall at the Beckham home while carrying a can of [[gasoline|petrol]]. Victoria and their children were home at the time, but security guards apprehended the man before he reached the house.<ref>{{cite web |title=Intruder alert for Victoria Beckham |publisher=Manchester Online |date=20 July 2004 |url=http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/124/124434_intruder_alert_for_victoria_beckham.html |access-date=9 October 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060222010135/http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/124/124434_intruder_alert_for_victoria_beckham.html |archive-date=22 February 2006}}</ref>

====2004–2005: Managerial changes====
The league season began with new head coach [[José Antonio Camacho]] at the helm, but he ended up lasting only three matches, handing in his resignation as Real dropped to eighth spot in the La Liga standings. Camacho's assistant [[Mariano García Remón]] took over on temporary basis as Real's leadership scrambled to find a permanent replacement. Beckham made more headlines on 9 October 2004 when he admitted intentionally fouling [[Ben Thatcher]] in an England match against [[Wales national football team|Wales]] to get himself booked. Beckham was due to receive a one-match suspension for his next [[Yellow card (sports)|caution]], and had picked up an injury which he knew would keep him out of England's next match, so he deliberately fouled Thatcher to serve his suspension in a match that he would have had to miss anyway. [[The Football Association]] asked Beckham for an explanation of his actions and he admitted that he had "made a mistake" and apologised.<ref>{{cite news |title=FA wants explanation from Beckham |work=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/3735276.stm |access-date=6 October 2005 |date=14 October 2004 |archive-date=31 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060531043924/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/3735276.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> He was sent off shortly afterwards, this time in a league match for Real Madrid against [[Valencia CF|Valencia]]. Having received a yellow card, he was judged to have sarcastically applauded the referee and was given a second yellow card, causing an automatic dismissal, although the suspension was cancelled on appeal.

By Christmas 2004, with the team sitting in second position in the league, García Remón was dismissed, and [[Vanderlei Luxemburgo]] became the new head coach. However, the well-travelled Brazilian failed to inspire the team to the title as Real again finished the season in second position. On 3 December 2005, Beckham was sent off for the third time that season in a league match against [[Getafe CF|Getafe]]. A day later Luxemburgo was sacked and was replaced by [[Juan Ramón López Caro]]. By the end of that season, Beckham was third in La Liga in number of assists.<ref>{{cite news |title=2005–2006 La Liga Stats |url=https://fbref.com/en/comps/12/196/2005-2006-La-Liga-Stats |access-date=3 October 2021 |website=FBRef |archive-date=10 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010092135/https://fbref.com/en/comps/12/196/2005-2006-La-Liga-Stats |url-status=live }}</ref>

====2005–2006: Outpaced by Barcelona====
[[File:Beckham warmingup.jpg|thumb|upright|Beckham warming up with Real Madrid in 2006]]
During the season, Beckham established football academies in Los Angeles and east London and was named a judge for the 2006 British Book Awards.<ref>{{cite web|last=Maul|first=Kimberly|title=David Beckham: Soccer Star and Book Judge|url=http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001842661|publisher=The Book Standard|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212115110/http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001842661|archive-date=12 December 2007|date=11 January 2006}}</ref> Real Madrid finished second to Barcelona in the 2005–06 La Liga, albeit with a large twelve-point gap, and only reached the last 16 in the Champions League after losing to Arsenal. Pérez resigned his post as president in January 2006, with [[Vicente Boluda]] named as replacement on an interim basis until the end of the season.

====2006–2007: Real Madrid exit====
The summer 2006 off-season marked a turbulent time as the club's presidential elections were held. [[Ramón Calderón]] became the new Real president. As expected, none of the club officials who served under the previous president was kept, including head coach López Caro. Initially out of favour with newly arrived head coach [[Fabio Capello]], Beckham started only a few games at the beginning of the season, as the speedier [[José Antonio Reyes]] was normally preferred on the right wing. Of the first nine matches Beckham started, Real lost seven. On 10 January 2007, after prolonged contractual negotiations, Real Madrid's sporting director [[Predrag Mijatović]] announced that Beckham would not remain at Real Madrid after the end of the season. However, he later claimed that he was mistranslated and that he actually said that Beckham's contract had not yet been renewed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/10/sports/web.0110beckham.php |title=Uncertainty over Beckham's future at Real Madrid |work=International Herald Tribune |date=10 January 2007 |access-date=10 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220071830/http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/10/sports/web.0110beckham.php |archive-date=20 February 2008 }}</ref>

On 11 January 2007, Beckham announced that he had signed a five-year deal to play for the [[LA Galaxy]], beginning 1 July 2007. On 13 January 2007, Fabio Capello said that Beckham had played his last game for Real Madrid, although he continued to train with the team.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6259063.stm|title=Real coach calls time on Beckham|work=BBC Sport|date=13 January 2007|access-date=13 January 2007|archive-date=5 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605205706/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6259063.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> A few days later, while speaking to the students at [[Villanueva University|Villanueva University Center]] in Madrid, Calderón said that Beckham is "going to Hollywood to be half a film star", adding "our technical staff were right not to extend his contract, which has been proved by the fact that no other technical staff in the world wanted him except Los Angeles".<ref>{{Cite news |first=Jack |last=Bell |title=Real Madrid Club President Says a Mouthful |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/sports/soccer/17soccer.html |work=The New York Times |date=17 February 2007 |access-date=2 August 2010 |archive-date=10 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210214834/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/sports/soccer/17soccer.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

About a month later, however, Capello backtracked on his earlier statement, allowing Beckham to rejoin the team for the match against [[Real Sociedad]] on 10 February 2007. The player immediately repaid his head coach's trust by scoring the equalising goal from a {{convert|27|yd|adj=on}} free kick, as Real Madrid eventually recorded a 2–1 victory.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6346573.stm|title=Beckham scores on Madrid return|work=BBC Sport|date=10 February 2007|access-date=10 February 2007|archive-date=8 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208182242/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6346573.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> In his final UEFA Champions League appearance for the club, Real Madrid were knocked out of the competition by Bayern Munich at the [[2006–07 UEFA Champions League knockout stage|round-of-16 stage]] (on the away goals rule) on 7 March 2007. Beckham played a pivotal role in all three Madrid goals in the home game, with Bayern goalkeeper [[Oliver Kahn]] describing his performance as "world class".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/21/match.realmadrid|title=Beckham shines to give Real a slight advantage|first=Simon|last=Talbot|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=12 September 2014|date=21 February 2007|archive-date=2 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002170034/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/21/match.realmadrid|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Beckham 2 (2114756146).jpg|thumb|left|Beckham during his last season with Real Madrid]]
On 17 June 2007, the last day of the La Liga season, Beckham started in his final match for the club, a 3–1 win over Mallorca which saw them clinch the title from Barcelona.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-06-17 |title=Beckham bows out with Liga title |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6759697.stm |access-date=2024-05-28 |language=en-GB}}</ref> With Real down 0–1, Beckham limped off the field and was replaced by José Antonio Reyes, who scored two goals, leading the team to that season's [[2006–07 La Liga|La Liga title]], their first since Beckham had signed with them and [[Real Madrid CF#Domestic competitions|30th overall in the club's history]]. Although Real and Barçelona both finished level on points, Madrid took the title because of their superior head-to-head record, capping a remarkable six-month turnaround for Beckham.<ref name="Liga"/> With his wife and children, along with celebrity friends [[Tom Cruise]] and [[Katie Holmes]], watching from a luxury box at the [[Santiago Bernabéu Stadium|Santiago Bernabéu]], it was only Beckham's second piece of silverware since he joined the famous club.<ref name="Liga">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6759697.stm|title=Beckham bows out with Liga title|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-date=17 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217013123/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6759697.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Towards the end of the season, as Beckham was getting back into Capello's good books after successfully fighting his way back into the first team, Real Madrid announced they would try to untie his transfer to LA Galaxy, but were ultimately unsuccessful.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Millward|first=Robert|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/10/AR2007061000751.html|title=Agent: Beckham Sticking to Galaxy Deal|date=10 June 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=14 August 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121210081030/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/10/AR2007061000751.html|archive-date=10 December 2012}}</ref> Several weeks before Beckham's scheduled arrival in the United States, Real's management contacted LA Galaxy's ownership group about reacquiring the player, but were quickly turned down.<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.36</ref> A month after the conclusion of Beckham's Real career, ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine reported that he had been the party primarily responsible for the team's huge increase in merchandise sales, a total reported to top {{USD|600 million}} during Beckham's four years at the club.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Paul |last=Maidment |title=Becks And Bucks |url=https://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/sports/2007/07/07/beckham-soccer-marketing-face-markets-cx_pm_0707autofacescan01.html |work=Forbes |date=7 July 2007 |access-date=14 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101184121/http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/sports/2007/07/07/beckham-soccer-marketing-face-markets-cx_pm_0707autofacescan01.html|archive-date=1 November 2008 }}</ref>