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China spends it on Beckham, as Real roadshow arrives
Beijing, July 26: Forty-million-dollar man David Beckham has arrived in China as the latest superstar of a Real Madrid football club that aims to recoup Beckham`s entire transfer fee from its marketing in Asia over the next three years.
Beijing, July 26: Forty-million-dollar man David Beckham has arrived in China as the latest superstar of a Real Madrid football club that aims to recoup Beckham's entire transfer fee from its marketing in Asia over the next three years.
The presence of Beckham, already an idol in Japan, is a key part
of Madrid's strategy to emulate the far eastern marketing success of
the Englishman's former club, Manchester United.
Around 500 fans flocked to the airport yesterday to see Beckham, Ronaldo and Real's other top stars arrive in Kunming, capital of southwestern China's Yunnan province. The team went straight to a civic reception at their high-altitude training on the edge of the city.
Yunnan TV broadcast the arrival live, catering to interest generated by huge advance publicity.
Giant posters of Beckham, advertising Pepsi Cola, Adorn Public buses in the Chinese capital, Beijing, where Real Madrid are scheduled to play a team of top Chinese players in the Workers' Stadium on August 02.
At club football, close to the stadium, bar assistant Qiu Yu Sees Beckham as more than just player of pretty football. ''He's handsome, like a person from another world,'' Qiu said, echoing the sentiments that Real's financial chiefs hope will be repeated across Asia.
The main Chinese firm sponsoring Real's visit is Yunnan-based tobacco giant Hongta, said by state media to have paid 8 million Yuan (972,000 dollars) for the right to use its name in promoting the tour. The sponsor of Shanghai's top football club reportedly baulked at the fee demanded by real, as did Malaysian football officials.
Kunming and Hongta will ''become world famous'' because of Real's visit, the sports world weekly said on Friday. The newspaper forecast that the sponsors would recoup at least 6 million Yuan (730,000 dollars) from selling tickets to a July 29 practice match in Kunming, and charging some 350 journalists nearly 600 Yuan (73 dollars) each per day for access to Real's training camp.
Around 500 fans flocked to the airport yesterday to see Beckham, Ronaldo and Real's other top stars arrive in Kunming, capital of southwestern China's Yunnan province. The team went straight to a civic reception at their high-altitude training on the edge of the city.
Yunnan TV broadcast the arrival live, catering to interest generated by huge advance publicity.
Giant posters of Beckham, advertising Pepsi Cola, Adorn Public buses in the Chinese capital, Beijing, where Real Madrid are scheduled to play a team of top Chinese players in the Workers' Stadium on August 02.
At club football, close to the stadium, bar assistant Qiu Yu Sees Beckham as more than just player of pretty football. ''He's handsome, like a person from another world,'' Qiu said, echoing the sentiments that Real's financial chiefs hope will be repeated across Asia.
The main Chinese firm sponsoring Real's visit is Yunnan-based tobacco giant Hongta, said by state media to have paid 8 million Yuan (972,000 dollars) for the right to use its name in promoting the tour. The sponsor of Shanghai's top football club reportedly baulked at the fee demanded by real, as did Malaysian football officials.
Kunming and Hongta will ''become world famous'' because of Real's visit, the sports world weekly said on Friday. The newspaper forecast that the sponsors would recoup at least 6 million Yuan (730,000 dollars) from selling tickets to a July 29 practice match in Kunming, and charging some 350 journalists nearly 600 Yuan (73 dollars) each per day for access to Real's training camp.
Bureau Report