It is still uncertain whether David Beckham will accept a reported €800,000 a month contract at Paris St Germain (PSG). He could opt to stay at LA Galaxy. But the prospect of his arrival has already divided French politicians,
It is still uncertain whether David Beckham will accept a reported €800,000 a month contract at Paris St Germain (PSG). He could opt to stay at LA Galaxy. But the prospect of his arrival has already divided French politicians,
For the French left it is a symbol of all that is wrong in a world in thrall to celebrity and beset by growing inequality. Leading Socialist parliamentarian Jean-Marx Ayrault declared that ‘I have had enough of these enormous salaries’ and called for a maximum wage. Manuel Valle, spokesman for Socialist presidential candidate Francois Holland, described the contract as ‘scandalous’. ‘We are losing our PSG,’ he said.
The club is being held up by the French left as an ugly symbol of ‘le foot business’ after its purchase last summer by Qatar Sports Investment at the behest of Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, who is a friend of President Sarkozy.
Beyond the political rhetoric, there is a broader concern among fans of PSG about what an ageing Beckham would bring to the club as a footballer rather than a salesman of replica shirts. However, Beckham is seen as a way of restoring glamour to the French capital which is why there are plans for a ceremony or even a parade on the Champs Élysées.
Jacques Séguela, a leading French advertsing guru, commented, ‘There is only one footballer in the world who can bring glamour to Paris. It’s him and that’s because there are two of him’ by which he meant that you get Posh as well as Becks.