Real Madrid Signs David Beckham - 2003-06-19

With the addition of David Beckham to the roster of Real Madrid, a new light is added to this brilliant team. Real Madrid, which has won the Champions Cup 9 times, previously had players like Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Raul Gonzalez, and Roberto Carlos. The captain of the English team and renowned midfielder of Manchester United was purchased for $41.35 million on Tuesday. The final signing of this contract is set to take place in July. In a statement sent by his agent, David Beckham said, "I know that if I did not accept this offer from a big club like Real, with so many world-class stars, I would always regret it in the future." According to the terms of the contract, Real Madrid will pay $8.84 million at the time of the final signing and $20.63 million over the next four years in equal installments. The remaining payment of $11.79 million also depends on Real Madrid's position in the championship competitions. Beckham's annual salary will be around $7.08 million plus bonuses. Real Madrid's technical director, Jorge Valdano, said, "We are very pleased with David's arrival; this is a strategic contract that will make the club and team more competitive." The announcement of this news coincided with Beckham and his wife Victoria's trip to Japan for the promotion of his advertising contracts. After 13 years of playing for Manchester United and captaining the England national team, there have recently been rumors of a rift between Beckham and United's coach, Alex Ferguson.