The morning after David Beckham announced the end of his soccer career, future job offers are already flooding in.
Just hours after the 38-year-old Englishman announced he would finish his career after Paris Saint-Germain’s final game of this season, Beckham’s future roles in soccer has been the hot topic across the globe.
PSG’s President, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, wants Beckham to stay in Paris and believes an agreement could be reached in the next few weeks.
“I met him yesterday, actually, and he’s very interested to continue being involved with the big project of Paris Saint-Germain,” Al-Khelaifi said at a news conference on Friday. “He believes in the project, he believes in the club, he loves the club.”
(More: Beckham’s most memorable moments)
Al-Khelaifi, who heads up the Qatari ownership group that has poured huge finances into PSG since taking over almost two years ago, believes Beckham could have a role to play in the French capital in the very near future.
“He enjoyed the last six months, so we are in discussions now. Just yesterday he announced he was going to retire so we have time to discuss (it),” Al-Khelaifi said. “In the next two weeks we are hopefully going to announce if we’re going to reach an agreement together. I hope we will, because honestly I want him.”
Beckham will feature in PSG’s final home game against Brest on Saturday, according to manager Carlo Ancelotti, with a huge sendoff is expected for his last game in Paris. PSG’s final game is away to Lorient on May 26.
“He is going to play,” Italian Ancelotti, who ducked questions about his own future, told a news conference.
Beckham, 38, said on Thursday that he would retire from playing at the end of the season after a short stint at PSG, triggering an avalanche of tributes to the former England captain.
Ancelotti joined the chorus, saying: “He loves his job, he is a very very humble player, these are the best qualities I saw in his character. He had fantastic passing qualities, he was one of the best in the world in that department.”
It will be Beckham’s 10th Ligue 1 appearance this season after he joined PSG in late January.
One thing is clear for everyone to see. Beckham won’t be short of options about what to do when his illustrious playing career comes to a close in nine days time.
(More: Bigger impact on U.S. soccer growth, Beckham or Pele?)
Reports from elsewhere believe Beckham will take time away from the game for an extended period, as he aims to spend more time with his family after years on the road playing the game, spreading the word about sport as an ambassador and all his other media and commercial commitments.
It seems as if the next few weeks will be down time for Beckham. But for companies, soccer clubs and other entities the hard work has just begun. The race to tie Beckham down to his next big project has already begun.
You better look lively folks…PSG are leading the way.
