SOCCER:IF THEY HAD not already worked it out, Italian football fans are about to learn that David Beckham is not a footballer like other ones. This evening, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid, current Los Angeles Galaxy superstar will be officially "launched" on live TV on the Italian market when AC Milan present him to the media in the appropriate surrounds of the San Siro stadium.
Beckham, of course, has not definitively joined AC Milan - he is merely there on loan until early March. Given Milan's impressive and long established ability to combine image, marketing and good football, a link-up with Beckham hardly comes as a surprise. Indeed, a couple of seasons back, when Beckham was at the height of his footballing powers, such a move was often touted.
To many it seemed only logical that Beckham would join a PR-oriented club that just happens to be owned by media mogul and current Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi whose Mediaset television empire just might be able to find a job for Beckham's famous wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Adams.
There is clearly a huge sense of intrigue and curiosity about the move. It is one thing to be buying a player like Beckham at his very best, and to have him 100 per cent at your disposal. It is quite another to be taking a three-month loan of the now 33-year-old Beckham after he has spent 18 months rusting in American.
The point about this move, however, is that it was Beckham who went looking for Milan and not vice versa. Clearly, England manager Fabio Capello was a key figure in the deal. When the Beckham entourage contacted Milan (after failing to arouse much interest with a small number of English Premier League clubs), the Italian club got in contact with their former coach.
Don't worry, came the response from Capello, take him. You are getting not just a marketing phenomenon but also a good player. Capello obviously believes Beckham can still be useful to the England cause on the road to South Africa.
Whether this means Capello intends to make him an automatic first-choice when England (as surely they will) get to the next World Cup finals is, of course, another matter.
What is no secret, however, is Capello made it clear to Beckham that if he wanted to be considered for England games next year, starting with an away friendly against Spain on February 11th, then he would have to be playing club football somewhere rather than sitting out the MLS winter break. Hence, the rush for Beckham to find a top-level club in Europe and Capello's strong recommendation to Milan.
The Beckham loan formally begins on January 7th, 2009. In practical terms, Milan expect him to be available by the end of this month, ready to join the club in Dubai, where they have a short post-Christmas training camp, with one friendly included.
After that Beckham will be available for 10 Serie A games and two Uefa Cup ties.
After that we will then be left with one intriguing question. What if Beckham were to do really well, score important goals and make a big contribution? Would he be in a big hurry to return to the MLS graveyard and his €4.6 million annual contract?
