Paris Saint-Germain manager Carlo Ancelotti was made to answer questions regarding the logic of signing 37-year-old David Beckham as the club tries to establish itself as a major force in European football.
The former England international signed a six-month deal with PSG in late January and is in line to play a part in their title race this season.
“He’s 37 but still has the motivation and the physical condition – Beckham’s not had many injuries in his career,” Ancelotti told French TV programme beIN Sport.
“He’s one of the most serious and professional players I’ve ever known.”
Indeed, he may be a ‘serious’ professional but Beckham is not the sprightly young thing that relied on effort and fitness levels to make up for raw talent.
His arrival at PSG has sparked debate between fans betting on football the world over, wondering just how serious the French club are on creating an infrastructure capable of rivalling the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United as the continent’s biggest sides.
With a multi-billion Euro backing of their Qatari owners, PSG have made great strides to developing their credentials as future Champions League winners and spent money doing so: bringing in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezeguiel Lavezzi last summer for instance.
These high-profile players are here to help PSG win Ligue 1 and qualify for the Champions League, yet there is concern Beckham’s arrival is more about the brand rather than his footballing ability.
Ligue 1 football is far tougher than the MLS and hopefully the owners realise this and don’t pressurise Ancelotti into starting him every week – a conundrum that partly cost Jose Mourinho his Chelsea job after being told to play Andrei Shevchenko.
Does Ancelotti really believe Beckham can force a way into PSG’s midfield or is he just happy to let the owners have a new plaything? It will be interesting over the next six months to see where this team goes – they are by no means French champions yet and Ancelotti may not be happy if he is forced to start his aged new signing.
For more information on football betting, head over to: http://betting.betfair.com/football/premier-league/
