Sejumlah Klub Australia Antri Datangkan David Beckham
Australian Football Clubs Are Queuing to Bring David Beckham
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Parulian Manalu
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SEJUMLAH klub Australia mengantri untuk mendatangkan mantan kapten tim nasional Inggris ke Liga Utama Australia A League pada Januari meski David Beckham, 37, menyangkal telah sepakat pindah.
Perth Glory merupakan klub yang berniat mengontrak Beckham dan siap mengajukan penawaran, kata pemilik klub Tony Sage, seperti dilansir Monday's Told Australian.
"Perekrutan Beckham akan segera terjadi, keputusan saya adalah membeli kejayaan," kata Sage, sang pengusaha pertambangan.
"Hal ini adalah sebuah komitmen besar, tapi saya bisa saja mundur."
Manajemen tim Beckham pada Jumat nampak mengecilkan peluang kepindahan Beckham setelah Federasi Sepak Bola Australia (FFA) mengungkapkan keiginan suami Victoria Beckham itu ingin bermain di satu klub A League.
Namun Ketua Eksekutif FFA David Gallop menegaskan kesepakatan bisa saja terjadi antara Beckham dengan klub Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald melaporkan, Melbourne Heart dan Adelaide United bersama satu klub lain yang belum diketahui namanya telah membuat penawaran tersembunyi.
"Beckham akan menjadi daya tarik pariwisata," kata presiden Adelaide United Greg Griffin.
"Kami mengambil posisi depan untuk mendatangkannya dan akan benar-benar mengusahakannya," katanya kepada Herald.
FFA mengingatkan mengenai Alessandro Del Piero yang mengalami banyak spekulasi kepindahan sampai bintang Italia itu bergabung dengan Sydney FC.
Beckham mengingatkan suatu nama besar dan kedatangannya bersama Del Piero dan Emile Heskey di A League akan mengangkat pencitraan liga.
Di sisi lain, FFA mengharapkan dapat meraih pendapatan hak siar televisi mencapai 160 dolar Australia atau meningkat dua kali lipat dari musim sebelumnya karena kedatangan Beckham.
AUSTRALIAN football clubs are queuing up to bring former England captain David Beckham to the country's A-League in January, despite the 37-year-old denying a deal is in the offing.
Perth Glory has "put its hat in the ring" and is readying a bid, wealthy owner Tony Sage told Monday's The Australian.
"Signing David Beckham would be up there... the number one thing other than my decision to buy Glory," said mining magnate Sage.
"It's a huge commitment, but something I would love to pull off."
Beckham's management team on Friday played down talk of any move Down Under after Football Federation Australia said that the star player wanted to join an A-League club.
But FFA chief executive David Gallop insisted a deal could still be struck for a 10-match guest stint by the LA Galaxy midfielder.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Melbourne Heart and Adelaide United were also in the race along with an unnamed side that has already made a secret bid.
"Beckham would be a massive thing for tourism," said United chairman Greg Griffin.
"We've just put forward our position to the people we understand are representing him and we would like to take it further," Griffith told the Herald.
The FFA pointed out that earlier this year Italian World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero's management tried to fight off speculation before he finally joined Sydney FC.
Beckham remains one of the biggest names in football and his presence in the A-League alongside Del Piero and ex-England striker Emile Heskey would help ratchet up the competition's image.
In another coup, the federation was expected to unveil an Aus$160 million four-year television deal later Monday, doubling previous broadcast rights.
