David Beckham is a name synonymous with football. An icon across the World, even those who have never deigned to watch a minute of football will know of the man.
Part of the famed Man United class of ‘92, the now Inter Miami owner was always destined for the stars.
Man United To Real Madrid: How It Happened
He was a boyhood United fan, signing for them as a 15-year-old, and properly breaking into the first team in 1995.
After a long and fruitful run under Ferguson, where United won 6 Premier Leagues, 2 FA Cups and a Champions League, Beckham exited under acrimonious circumstances.
After a defeat to Arsenal, Ferguson launched a football boot across the room that struck Beckham in the eye, shattering an already tumultuous relationship. Beckham required stitches, and there was no way back for the two’s ability to work together.
As the summer 2003 transfer window approached, the writing was on the wall. United were looking to sell Beckham and Barcelona were very keen on the treble winner.
Both even announcing they had reached an agreement. However, an eleventh-hour bid came in from Real Madrid instead, as Beckham’s head was turned, fancying becoming a galactico.
He joined reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid for €35 million on a four-year contract, which was devastating news for newly elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta, having made the signing of David Beckham his key policy in his presidential campaign.
Madrid had beaten Barca to the punch, and Beckham became the only player in the English national team that was playing outside of the Premier League.
Beckham’s First Season
It wasn’t a long wait for Madrid fans to see him in action, Madrid had won the league last season and were due to play in the Spanish Super Cup. A summer two-legged game between the Copa Del Rey and La Liga winners. Essentially Spain’s version of England’s Community Shield.
With all eyes on Beckham, the new midfielder made an immediate impression, slotting comfortably into this team of superstars from day one, despite an extremely limited understanding of Spanish, and the relative ability of his peers.
Providing an assist for Luis Figo to open the scoring less than 20 minutes in, he quickly looked a worthwhile purchase.
They went on to lose the game 2-1, but the second leg saw Los Blancos romp to a comfortable 3-0 victory, with Beckham netting the final goal of the encounter.
It took less than 10 minutes for him to officially open his Madrid account, scoring a vital opening goal in a 2-1 win over Betis.
A sweeping passing move saw Ronaldo square it to David Beckham, as two football greats combined, for an easy finish just 6 yards out as the keeper sprawled across the goal desperately.
In fairness, I could type any other Madrid player on the pitch alongside Beckham’s name and it would still be two footballing greats combining.
The next game he contributed again, setting up Antonio Nunez for a header from a corner.
He’d started perfectly, a goal contribution every game, with 2 goals and 2 assists in 4 matches. This only got better, as he pickup up 2 in a 7-2 hammering of Valladolid, the Madrid number 7 now having been moved into a central role, after starting his first 4 on the right.
It was Malaga next, and Beckham would pull out his party trick in a 3-1 away win for Los Blancos.
Madrid were lead 1-0 when a free-kick was awarded from 25 or so yards out. Los Blancos had many dead-ball specialists already in the team, so it was anyone’s guess as to who out of Figo, Roberto Carlos, and new signing Beckham would take it, as they all stood over the ball.
In the end, it was a collaborative effort, Beckham tapping it to Figo, who trapped the ball under his foot, the Malaga keeper instinctively stepping inwards expect a shot aimed over the wall. Francesc Arnau could only turn to watch as the ball made the net ripple.
That was now 7 goal contributions in 5 games, and fans were in love with him already.
But while Beckham had made a great start, things weren’t going so well for the team.
Madrid wasn’t clicking, perhaps a combination of too many egos without the right manager to foster the correct atmosphere.
They finished 4th that year, and any chance of challenging for the title was dashed by 5 straight defeats to end the season.
In the Champions League, they were knocked out by Monaco in a comeback inspired by Fernando Morientes; Madrid’s own player who was on loan at the French side.
The club’s best chance at silverware that season was in the Copa Del Rey, reaching the final to face a Zaragoza side that was performing incredibly well with a side that featured a young David Villa.
Despite Beckham opening the scoring, with a trademark free-kick, the Galacticos slumped to a 3-2 extra-time defeat, former Real youth graduate Dani equalising just 5 minutes after Beckham’s goal.
It was a torrid first season as a team, but Beckham individually had been outstanding.
The next year was similarly disappointing.
You Can’t Buy Trophies
Failing to win major silverware again, knocked out in the round of 16 in both the Copa Del Rey and the Champions League, Beckham might have begun to feel this Galactico project had as much foresight as a 10-year-old signing all the best players to one team on FIFA.
The highlight of the year was a 4-2 El Clasico victory, in which Beckham played a starring role with two assists.
Real Madrid had nothing to put their energy into but the league by March after being knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus, 2-1. Beckham got the assist for Madrid’s only goal in the tie.
It was the same old situation the next year. Collapse when it mattered.
A strong Copa Del Rey run was dashed by Zaragoza once again, another young talismanic striker sinking Madrid as Diego Milito scored 4 goals in a 6-1 win over Madrid.
Real were brave and fought valiantly in the return fixture, almost levelling the scores thanks to a 4-0 win at the Bernabeu, which featured one of the greatest passes you’ll ever see from anyone.
No prizes for guessing who made such a pass…
Madrid had gone 2-0 up after just 5 minutes, Cicinho scoring in the 1st minute, the team all-out attack from the off with a lot of ground to make up.
With 9 gone on the clock, Beckham swings a sumptuous, physics-breaking ball to Ronaldo that perfectly drops between two defenders, swerving as if programmed to seek Ronaldo out.
R9 duly slid the ball home from around the penalty spot.
It wasn’t enough in the end, but Beckham’s assist is still one of the greatest passes if not the greatest pass in history.
If you think De Bruyne’s assists are good, this Beckham pass will blow your mind.
Seriously, it’s frequently described as the greatest pass ever…
But, all that really mattered, was another failure to win trophies. It didn’t stop there. A toothless performance against Arsenal in the Champions League and finishing league runners-up again, but this time without much of a fight; Barcelona had a 12-point gap in 1st.
Beckham would only spend one more season with Madrid…
The League Title Goes Down To The Wire
Halfway through that season, Madrid sat top, but with his contract expiring that year and Real making little effort to discuss a new one with him, Beckham announced the move that shook football, as he announced his plans to move to L.A. Galaxy at the end of the campaign.
Then manager Fabio Capello was incensed by his decision to publicly announce his departure, and make such a decision with still 4 months of the season left to play.
“He will train with the team, but he won’t play…we cannot count on him. He is not going to play again.”
But just a month later, as Madrid shaped up to play Real Sociedad off the back of four uninspired performances in a row, all finishing 1-0 and just two in Madrid’s favour, Capello admitted his words were a mistake.
Providing the impetus the team were missing, he inspired a 2-1 win over Sociedad, scoring the equaliser.
2 weeks later, Madrid faced Bayern Munich, Beckham, having earned his place in the team again after playing a bit-part role that year rolled back the years.
The 32-year-old played out of his skin to set up two goals while being involved in all three, causing Munich keeper Oliver Kahn to label him as world-class. Madrid won the first leg 3-2.
But his heroics weren’t enough, and after being left out of the squad for the second leg Madrid lost, as Capello again underestimated Beckham’s impact.
But, there was still a chance at silverware before all was said and done.
The final game of the season was against Mallorca, and if Madrid won, Barcelona couldn’t catch them. Their Catalan rivals had a better goal difference of 19 and were level on points but as La Liga falls back on head-to-head record in the case of even points, Madrid would edge them out.
It wasn’t a vintage Beckham performance, the Englishmen being subbed off 66 minutes in. It looked to all be going wrong on the final day. When he was hooked, Madrid had been trailing since the 17th minute 1-1.
But, Madrid scored 3 goals after he was taken off, the first coming just two minutes later from Jose Reyes, the man who replaced him.
It was a watershed moment for Beckham, bowing out of his time at Los Blancos with a trophy at the last possible opportunity. It was the least he deserved, after playing with the same passion in Spain as he did at Manchester United.
