JAPAN: SOCCER - DAVID BECKHAM PRESS CONFERENCE IN A TOKYO HOTEL ON HIS MOVE TO REAL MADRID FOOTBALL CLUB / FANS AND MEDIA FRENZY.

Record ID: 190203

  • Title: JAPAN: SOCCER - DAVID BECKHAM PRESS CONFERENCE IN A TOKYO HOTEL ON HIS MOVE TO REAL MADRID FOOTBALL CLUB / FANS AND MEDIA FRENZY.
  • Date: 19th January 2003
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JUNE 19, 2003)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF DAVID BECKHAM AND VICTORIA BECKHAM (IN PINK) LEAVING THE HOTEL FROM THE UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT/JAPANESE FANS TAKING PICTURES WITH MOBILE PHONES 2. CROWDS OF JOURNALISTS MILLING AROUND THE CONFERENCE ROOM 3. BAG OF GIFTS FOR JOURNALISTS WITH A PICTURE OF DAVID BECKHAM 4. DOORS BEING CLOSED ON FOREIGN JOURNALIST 5. EXTERIOR OF HOTEL OF THE EVENT AND FANS AND JOURNALIST WAITING OUTSIDE 6. BECKHAM LOOK-ALIKE PAUL MANSLEY BEING MOBBED BY FANS AND JOURNALISTS 7. DAVID BECKHAM WALKS IN 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BECKHAM SAYS : " I've not even discussed obviously with Real Madrid my position, of where they want me to play. They've said they wanted me and I, of course, when given the chance of playing with another great club. It's an exciting time for me. That is all I'm looking forward to." 9. ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED AT HAVING TO LEAVE MANCHESTER UNITED ? BECKHAM: " No, because I've joined a club that is a massive club, if I was going to leave Manchester United at any time in my career, then to join a miassive club like Real Madrid is a dream." 10. YOU ARE REPORTED AS COMPLAINING YOU WERE BEING SOLD AS A PIECE OF MEAT. DID THAT REPRESENT YOUR FEELING TOWARDS MANCHESTER UNITED ? BECKHAM: " I think things went on that , of course I wouldn't have been happy about, but when a club come to a decision on the money side of that then it was my decision after that, and for me it's a good decision now." 11. IS IT UNFAIR DAVID TO SUGGEST THAT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES WERE BUSY WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES ON YOUR FUTURE ? BECKHAM (OFF MIKE): "That never went on." 12. HOW GOOD IS YOUR SPANISH DAVID ? BECKHAM: " I know a few words, I know a few phrases. I haven't started lessons yet but I know how to ask for the bill in a restuarant, so that will come in handy." 13. WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN HAPPIER IF IT HAD HAPPENED DIFFERENTLY ? BECKHAM: " Of course I think it could have been done a little bit differently, but I don't want to talk about that side of it now, because I'm a Real Madid player now and I'm looking forward to it." 14. IS VICTORIA LOOKING FORWARD TO IT ? BECKHAM : "She is actually, she's very excited about the whole thing now. Moving to a different country and a different culture, I think it's an exciting thing for the whole family. Our children are going to grow up and they're going to learn another language and I think that's going to be an exciting thing for us all. No, we haven't bought a house yet, that's down to the club. The club are going to find us a few houses to look at and we're going to go over and decide then." 15. HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO SVEN (GORAN ERIKSSON) AND DOES THIS AFFECT YOUR ENGLAND POSTION ? BECKHAM : "No, because I wouldn't have done it if it had affected my England career, I have spoken to Mr Erisson about it all because I think he's an important part of my career and to speak to him was important to me and he just said to me ' whatever you do whatever club you play for it doesn't affect you being England captain ' 16. HOW DISAPPOINTED ARE YOU THAT YOU REALLY HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE MANCHESTER UNITED FANS ? BECKHAM: " I think once I go over there early July to Spain to finalise all this and have my medical and once that has been done I'm going to do a message for the Manchester United fans because they've been a massive part of my life and my career and to just leave without saying anything just wouldn't be right. Because I owe them a lot, like they feel I've done a lot for the club.I feel They've done a lot for my career and my life." 17. WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT SO FEW ENGLISH PLAYERS HAVE GONE ABROAD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, YOU'RE QUITE RARE AREN'T YOU ? " I am at the moment because all the foreign players and the great players are coming to the Premeirship to play, but I think the Spanish league is one of the best leagues in the world, with the Premiership and it's an exciting challenge for me." 18. WHICH NUMBER DO YOU PREFER TO WEAR ? BECKHAM : " You know I've heard all this that I wanted the number seven shirt, and I'd never even think of taking that off Raul, because for me he's the king of Real Madrid, and a lot of people think that of him, so I've not even discussed with Real Madrid what number I would get, I've not even said I would want number seven because I wouldn't, I'm saying that now. For me, whatever number they're going to give me, I'm happy." 19. REPORTER ASKED HIM IF HE WATCHED REAL MADRID BATTLING TO WIN LEAGUE. BECKHAM: " Of course I watched the game the other night and they were pretty amazing in that, but what I will say is I want to apologise to the players because all this has not been caused by me. I didn't want it to detract from their last two games of the season, they're fighting to win the league and I didn't want anything to upset that, so I wish them good luck because I'm looking forward to playing with them next season. 20. WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIVING IN MANCHESTER ? BECKHAM : " I think I will miss the fans and the players I have grown up with because I've considered the players at Manchester United as my family and I've got a lot of very special friends there, everyone's been very kind to me in Manchester and looked after me for 13 years and obviuosly I'm sad to leave them, but I'm joining Real Madrid and that for me is as exciting as it gets to be honest." 21. JOURNALISTS WAITING FOR THE BECKHAMS 22. (SOUNDBITE)(Japanese) JAPANESE BECKHAM FAN, UNIDENTIFIED, SAYING: "It doesn't matter what he does, he just so cute" 23. MORE OF FANS WAITING FOR BECKHAM 24. NEWPAPER HEADLINES AND HEADLINE PHOTO (REUTERS PHOTO - ACCESS ALL) OF DAVID AND VICTORIA BECKHAM Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 3rd February 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Reuters ID: LVA8ZTRLYSU2BYOO5X53OBREMEFZ
  • Story Text: David Beckham apologised to his new Real Madrid team
    mates for creating a media frenzy in the Spanish title run-in
    and said he had been promised his switch from Manchester
    United would not affect his England career.



    "To join a massive club like Real Madrid is a dream,"
    the England captain told reporters on Thursday.

    "I want to apologise to the (Real) players because all
    this is not caused by me. I don't want to distract them ...

    they're fighting to win the league and I didn't want to upset
    that."
    Beckham agreed to join Real from Manchester United on
    Tuesday in a deal worth up to 35 million euros ($41 million).

    Beckham said he would have had second thoughts if his move had
    put his England place at risk.

    "I wouldn't have done it if it would have affected my
    England career," said the 28-year-old, on a promotional tour
    in Japan with pop-star wife Victoria.

    "I have spoken to Mr (England manager Sven-Goran) Eriksson
    about it all because I think he's an important part of my
    career and ... he just said to me 'Whatever you do, it doesn't
    matter what club you play for, it doesn't affect you being
    England captain."
    Beckham declined openly to criticise Manchester United
    manager Alex Ferguson after the English champions announced
    last week they had agreed a conditional deal to sell the
    midfielder to Barcelona.

    "Of course it could have been done differently but I don't
    want to talk about that now," he shrugged.

    "Real said they wanted me and it is a chance to play with
    a great club, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm very excited
    to become part of Real Madrid."
    Beckham insisted he did not care that he could not wear
    his trademark number seven shirt at his new club. Spain
    striker Raul currently wears that number.

    "I don't even think of taking that off Raul. For me, he is
    the king of Real Madrid," said Beckham.

    "Whatever number they give me I will be happy. I have not
    even discussed with Real Madrid where they want me to
    play...but it is going to be a good challenge for me, on the
    field and off it."
    Beckham and his wife arrived in Japan amid a swirl of
    publicity on Wednesday for the start of an Asian promotional
    tour. They were welcomed in Tokyo by hundreds of screaming
    fans.

    It was his first trip to the country since last year's
    World Cup.

    Earlier in the day the international media were excluded
    from a press conference organised by one of Beckham's
    Japanese sponsors. Fans outside the hotel where it was being
    held even got excited when lookalike Paul Mansley tried to
    grab a piece of the action.




  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register