While some football clubs across the world scurried around to hastily finalise deals ahead of the January 31 transfer deadline, others calmly waited until near the end of the day to make probably the biggest announcement of that transfer window – Paris St. Germain (PSG) announcing the signing of David Beckham.
PSG is a club which is already doling loads of cash on its high-priced players. Their roster includes Brazilians Thiago Sliva and Alex, Argentinians Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Patore and Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Why would any team in 2013 want to sign a 37-year-old midfielder half-way through a football season? You do it when that midfielder has sold literally hundreds of thousands of jerseys bearing his name regardless of the teams he’s signed for. There’s only one man which fits such a description – David Robert Joseph Beckham.
PSG organised a press conference which got tremendous exposure towards the last few hours of the January transfer window and it was broadcast live on the internet.
Beckham’s signing was revealed to the world from Paris a few days after training with Arsenal under the guise of “keeping fit”, how laughable.
Just remember though that he has been without a club since leaving the LA Galaxy after winning his second straight MLS Cup in December and PSG have been interested in him since 2011.
Beckham announced he would be donating all of his wages, approx. £150,000 per week, for the duration of his brief five-month contract to a Parisian children’s charity.
It’s a wonderful gesture and one you don’t see many athletes ever doing. Beckham ahs won the love and adoration of fans the world around and the cities where he’s plied his trade – Manchester, Madrid, Los Angeles and Milan. This charitable move ensures he does the same in Paris whether he shines on the pitch.
This to me suggests that he’ll sell tens of thousands (or more) of shirts and maybe move on to become a PSG administrator. 19 (XIX) Entertainment (his agents) will reveal that in due course I’m sure.
One thing is sure, the charity beneficiaries wil benefit and at this rate my guess us that he’ll probably end up more popular than the Eiffel Tower.
There’s been much public debate since the incident involving Belgian international and Chelsea midfielder and a Swansea City ball boy.
Some contend that the red card shown to Hazard was ‘extreme’, suggesting that the referee should have exercised better judgement/discretion in making such a decision.
However, the FA said on Friday, January 25 that the red card constituted an “insufficient” punishment for the offence.
Hazard was already set to serve an automatic three-match ban for the red card in Wednesday’s semi-final second leg at the Liberty Stadium, where a goalless draw left the Blues out in the cold on a 2-0 aggregate defeat.
The FA’s statement seems somewhat harsh given that both the ball boy and Hazard met with each other and apologised for their actions.
Could the FA’s apparent stance be stemming from the fact that the ball boy, Charlie Morgan, is the son of Swansea City’s biggest shareholder? I’m just thinking out loud here.
This unfortunate turn of events came in to being all from something which ought not to have happened in the first place.
I’ve heard no mention made of sanctions for Morgan or the Swansea City Club. Are they not culpable too? Ball boys should discharge their duties with the same degree of professionalism as the officials and players. Where that professional display is breached then sanctions should follow.
Truth is that ball boys sometimes delay the game by a few seconds. That’s just the game. If it gets out of hand, a player should alert the game officials. The referee can warn the ball boy or request that he be replaced.
The ref can add on more time if it really gets out of control. Kicking at him is foolish, unsporting and warrants a red card. Sure Morgan was obviously time-wasting but how much time do you really think was lost before Hazard lost his temper? Less than a minute.
Lesson: Sport requires discipline and a display of high professionalism by all involved on and off the field of play.