- News>
- Football
It`s Japan`s turn to redefine Beckham-mania
Tokyo, Aug 05: Zidane backtracks on retirement and Raul says titles are won the pitch as Beckham takes centre stage with Real Madrid in Japan. The show went on Monday (August 4) in Tokyo as Real Madrid took centre stage at a downtown hotel with England captain David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane side by side.
Tokyo, Aug 05: Zidane backtracks on retirement and Raul says titles are won the pitch as Beckham takes centre stage with Real Madrid in Japan. The show went on Monday (August 4) in Tokyo as Real Madrid took centre stage at a downtown hotel with England captain David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane side by side.
Beckham, who moved from Manchester United to the Spanish champions for 35 million euros (39.11 million U.S. dollars) last month, arrived with Real Madrid embarked upon the second leg of their pre-season Far East tour.
Beckham-mania gripped Japan on his last visit as part of a promotional tour of the Far East that took place in June as his move from United was being finalised. However despite the hype in Asia, France midfielder Zinedine Zidane has warned Real Madrid fans not to expect too much too soon from new signing David Beckham.
"You should not expect more from him than he has already shown at Manchester United," Zidane told reporters in an interview on Monday (August 3).
"There is already a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He needs time to settle. Beckham should be himself and bring his own qualities to the team."
However the addition of another soccer star to the team has raised the stakes, Zidane said. "Every year its been like this. The first year it was Figo's arrival, then mine, then Ronaldo and today's Beckham's" he told Reuters. "So of course the bar is raised every age you think about stopping. But it was just something I said...nothing certain," said the two-time world player of the year.
Zidane, who helped France win the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship, said in China last week that he would retire when his Real Madrid contract expires in 2005.
However, the 31-year-old hinted at a possible U-turn and insisted that he may decide to continue if his passion for the game was undiminished.
"I will be 33 in 2005 which is the sort of age you think about stopping. But it was just something I said...nothing certain," shrugged Zidane. "If I'm still physically in good shape and can maintain the same level of play I could continue playing."
Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez was also positive about the addition of Beckham but warned that even a team of superstars have to prove themselves.
"We have to win on the pitch and be better than our rivals, no?...This year we will fight for all titles and I hope we can get them or at least get closer to win some."
Raul became captain when 34 year-old central defender Fernando Hierro and manager Vicente del Bosque were sacked, one day after Real Madrid won the Spanish title, in June.
"It is an honour for me to be Real Madrid's captain -- specially as I am (only) 26. It's quite a young age to be in charge but circumstances led to the fact that I am the most veteran in the team. But not much will change because what matters to me is the performance on the pitch, the performance of the team and as captain I have responsibilities to keep the squad united and with everybody working for the same objective.
In particular, the newcomers and the youth players should all help each other, so we can get into the right direction and improve our overall performance."
Argentinian midifiedler Santiago Solari, also 26, said it was not the addition of another superstar that would make Real Madrid a better team.
"We have wonderful chemistry. We are friends and we share a lot of time. And that's in part why this team is successful and it works," he added.
Esteban Cambiasso explained that soccer was not an exact science and the then 23 year-old Argentinian midfielder added: "No name, no team, nothing can secure us titles, even if with better players, the team have more chances to achieve them. But there is nothing safe in soccer -- if not it would quite boring and would not arouse so many passion at it does."
Real Madrid play J-League club FC Tokyo on Tuesday (August 3) on the second leg of their pre-season tour of the Far East.
The Spanish champions are aware they would be under extra pressure to become champions of Europe for the 10th time after beating Spanish rivals Barcelona in the chase for Beckham.
Bureau Report
"You should not expect more from him than he has already shown at Manchester United," Zidane told reporters in an interview on Monday (August 3).
"There is already a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He needs time to settle. Beckham should be himself and bring his own qualities to the team."
However the addition of another soccer star to the team has raised the stakes, Zidane said. "Every year its been like this. The first year it was Figo's arrival, then mine, then Ronaldo and today's Beckham's" he told Reuters. "So of course the bar is raised every age you think about stopping. But it was just something I said...nothing certain," said the two-time world player of the year.
Zidane, who helped France win the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship, said in China last week that he would retire when his Real Madrid contract expires in 2005.
However, the 31-year-old hinted at a possible U-turn and insisted that he may decide to continue if his passion for the game was undiminished.
"I will be 33 in 2005 which is the sort of age you think about stopping. But it was just something I said...nothing certain," shrugged Zidane. "If I'm still physically in good shape and can maintain the same level of play I could continue playing."
Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez was also positive about the addition of Beckham but warned that even a team of superstars have to prove themselves.
"We have to win on the pitch and be better than our rivals, no?...This year we will fight for all titles and I hope we can get them or at least get closer to win some."
Raul became captain when 34 year-old central defender Fernando Hierro and manager Vicente del Bosque were sacked, one day after Real Madrid won the Spanish title, in June.
"It is an honour for me to be Real Madrid's captain -- specially as I am (only) 26. It's quite a young age to be in charge but circumstances led to the fact that I am the most veteran in the team. But not much will change because what matters to me is the performance on the pitch, the performance of the team and as captain I have responsibilities to keep the squad united and with everybody working for the same objective.
In particular, the newcomers and the youth players should all help each other, so we can get into the right direction and improve our overall performance."
Argentinian midifiedler Santiago Solari, also 26, said it was not the addition of another superstar that would make Real Madrid a better team.
"We have wonderful chemistry. We are friends and we share a lot of time. And that's in part why this team is successful and it works," he added.
Esteban Cambiasso explained that soccer was not an exact science and the then 23 year-old Argentinian midfielder added: "No name, no team, nothing can secure us titles, even if with better players, the team have more chances to achieve them. But there is nothing safe in soccer -- if not it would quite boring and would not arouse so many passion at it does."
Real Madrid play J-League club FC Tokyo on Tuesday (August 3) on the second leg of their pre-season tour of the Far East.
The Spanish champions are aware they would be under extra pressure to become champions of Europe for the 10th time after beating Spanish rivals Barcelona in the chase for Beckham.
Bureau Report