PARIS (AP) - David Beckham’s arrival at Paris Saint-Germain was warmly received in France on Friday, a day after the 37-year-old former England captain turned down several other teams in a marketing and merchandising coup.
Beckham joined the cash-rich club Thursday for five months and will donate his salary to a children’s charity.
Beckham aims to win the championship with a fourth different club and fourth different country. His globe-trotting career follows success at Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Daily newspaper Le Parisien headlined with “PSG gives itself a royal gift,” while Marseille-based newspaper La Provence said “Popstar David Beckham arrives to fanfare in Paris.”
Le Monde’s more sober headline is: “David Beckham, English footballer, global brand” _ centering on Beckham’s massive marketing appeal, rather than his soccer ability.
His marketing appeal was obvious on the Champs-Elysees, where PSG’s flagship club store is based.
Beckham’s No. 32 shirt was placed in the front of the shop window on Friday, with the blue home strip alongside the red away strip and with “Beckham” beaming from the back of both jerseys facing window shoppers.
The price of the merchandise _ $150 for the full uniform for adults, $116 for children _ is likely to generate serious revenue for the Qatari-owned club.
“He wants to be part of our big project, and it was a big dream for us to see him arrive,” PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi told RMC radio. “David Beckham is a great professional and, off the pitch this represents a unique marketing bonus. David is David.”
PSG had already secured some marquee signings, such as Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Brazil defender Thiago Silva and Brazil winger Lucas, but Beckham takes PSG to yet another level.
Former PSG and France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet is confident that Beckham’s arrival _ even if his contract is only until the end of the season _will significantly help to increase the French league’s profile abroad.
“It will give our league enormous visibility. It’s very exciting,” Coupet said. “It will shake things up enormously. If I was still a player, I would be happy to play with him or against him.”
He is the third high-profile English player to come to France in the past two seasons, with midfielder Joe Cole doing well for Lille during a loan spell last term and midfielder Joey Barton joining Marseille this season.
“People were already talking about PSG a lot, they’ll be talked about even more now with the arrival of David Beckham,” Lille coach Rudi Garcia said. “It’s good for the French league, because he’s an important figure in football, after all.”
Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier agrees, saying “a great player is coming to our league, one more. That’s a good thing.”
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