David Beckham has taken the city of Milan by storm… even his most optimistic followers never expected this. Gentry takes a look at a love affair that could run and run… contracts permitting.

It’s been a perfect match… whizzing into town just in time for Milan Fashion Week, parading his waxwork wife around, slipping in and out of the right restaurants at the right time… Signor Beckham was always going to make the right impression in the most fashionable of cities.

However, something interesting has happened, something far more remarkable – Beckham has been a sensation on the field as well as off it. In fact, he’s already delivered Milan a much needed 6 points and has revived the rossoneri’s dreams of the scudetto.

Against Lazio on Feb 1st,  Beckham was denied a hat-trick of assists by an incorrect offside flag. Nevertheless, his two immaculate passes propelled Milan past Juventus, into second place… their highest position this season. No other midfield in the world can boast the sheer class of AC Milan: Pirlo , Seedorf, Kaka, Beckham, Ronaldinho, Ambrosini and Gattuso have everything a coach could ever need to mount a serious challenge. Pirlo, Seedorf and Beckham in particular pass the ball with consummate ease and almost always enough disguise to unsettle their opponents.

Beckham has slipped into the starting line-up as if he was always there. Welcomed with open arms by stalwarts such as Maldini and Kaka, Beckham has grasped an opportunity tcreated by his own iconic status. Make no mistake, Milan were not lining up any other 33 year-old has-beens plying their trade in the MLS. What was intended to be a marketing exercise has evolved into the meeting of two forces – the resting giant, Milan and the re-emergent talent, Beckham – at the optimum time.

The union has been elegant and respectful, brimming with a restrained homo-eroticism that seems to spill over now and then. Beckham talks of the “ecstasy” he feels wandering around the trophy room and Milan coo over the England player’s “remarkable body” and “intelligent ethics” (whatever they might be…”). The rhapsodizing has been as eloquent as it is diabolically pointed. Here’s a statement from Milan's schemer-in-chief Adriano Galliano:

“We are very keen to keep him and will keep our hopes of doing so alive until the very last minute…We thought he would do well, but not as well as this. To lose him would be ugly, so we’ll make whatever effort and attempt to keep him…Then the Milan fans will have a big party when Beckham stays…”

Milan are unashamedly trying to finagle a deal to swipe Beckham from LA Galaxy. Rumours of get-out-clauses and last-minute annexes emerge each day. They aren’t just wooing him, they’re sexually molesting him before the world’s press. To cap it all, he’s been named in Milan’s UEFA cup squad!

 

Whether or not Beckham ultimately has the guts to sacrifice the battering his name will take in the world’s most lucrative market-place – America – and accept that he made a gross area in tying himself in with the debacle of “soccerball” remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure, Fabio Capello (who introduced the sweethearts to one another) believes Beckham will almost certainly play some part in the 2010 World Cup if he remains in Italy. Beckham’s sheer talent and unbridled ambition have forced the stoic Italian to reverse his opinion during their fractious time at Madrid together.

Capello respects Beckham immensely for this and there is no obvious replacement for him on England’s right wing. Shaun Wright-Philips has missed the boat, it turns out that David Bentley just isn’t very good and Aaron Lennon seems to be magnetically attracted to the advertising hoardings — scuttling off the pitch time and time again like a broken robot.  

England’s best bet is to split the responsibilities between the consummate Beckham and the youthful Walcott. Why make the position exclusive? Playing these talented two when appropriate seems the best of all possibilities.

Whatever happens in the months ahead, we’ll be watching. Our guess is that Beckham will ultimately not have the balls (golden or otherwise) to break his contract.

Related Features:

1. Beckham loves Milan
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Category: Sport