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CNN Live At Daybreak

Boffo Beckham: Spain Celebrates Arrival

Aired July 02, 2003 - 06:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he's sexy, he has style and he sure knows how to wear his hair, and yes, he's a great soccer player, too. He is David Beckham, and Spain is going bonkers over Beckham who is making the move from one dynasty to another.
CNN's Don Riddell joins us live from Madrid, Spain with the latest on Beckham. Fill us in.

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's just about to arrive on the stage. He will be presented here by the club's president and the club's honorary president, and I have to say, they're getting pretty excited in Madrid about this.

As you say, Beckham is not just a fantastic soccer player, he is the England captain, but he transcends all of that with his marriage to one of the former Spice Girls, Posh Spice. He is a huge celebrity and a fashion icon, and he really is on a -- on a par with the likes of Tiger Woods. So an absolutely huge deal this and awful lot of excitement here in Madrid.

COSTELLO: Where's his wife? Is Spice going to be there, too, or Posh? It's Posh, right, Posh Spice?

RIDDELL: Victoria, I think. People still know her as Posh in England, but Victoria is her name. I don't think she'll be actually on the stage, but she has been wining and dining with David Beckham here in Madrid and she will be by his side throughout most of his trip. But I don't think we'll actually expect to see her here today. But she plays a very important part in the whole marketing strategy of David Beckham.

COSTELLO: I guess I should ask you some sports questions right now, but we're really interested in the Hollywood aspect of this couple. Where are they going to live, because I understand there was some controversy over that, perhaps?

RIDDELL: Well they reckon -- he looked at -- one of the real estate agents was showing one of our other correspondents around a house that he may look at which is worth around four million pounds. That actually might not be enough for David Beckham. He's got an awful lot of money to spend. He earned around $15 million last week alone on a tour of the Far East. So can...

COSTELLO: He's coming out.

RIDDELL: He could live next door to the king of Spain if he so desired. COSTELLO: Don, tell us about this, he's coming out now.

RIDDELL: He's here. This really is, in terms of football transfers here in Europe, the biggest we have ever seen. He's actually not the most expensive transfer, but in terms of glamour and celebrity, this is huge. They are making an awfully big deal of this here in Madrid.

COSTELLO: Yes, that was quite some music they played upon his entrance.

RIDDELL: We're going to be seeing an awful lot more of him. He's actually going back to the Far East in a few weeks time on a tour that will net another $15 million for the club. He's -- they admit they are buying him as much as an asset on the field as off it. They will make most of the money back on shirt sales alone with his name on the back.

COSTELLO: I'm sure. Don Riddell, we're going to let you go, and we'll get back to you when David Beckham begins speaking.

All right, David Beckham and Real Spain joining his new soccer team.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired July 2, 2003 - 06:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he's sexy, he has style and he sure knows how to wear his hair, and yes, he's a great soccer player, too. He is David Beckham, and Spain is going bonkers over Beckham who is making the move from one dynasty to another.
CNN's Don Riddell joins us live from Madrid, Spain with the latest on Beckham. Fill us in.

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's just about to arrive on the stage. He will be presented here by the club's president and the club's honorary president, and I have to say, they're getting pretty excited in Madrid about this.

As you say, Beckham is not just a fantastic soccer player, he is the England captain, but he transcends all of that with his marriage to one of the former Spice Girls, Posh Spice. He is a huge celebrity and a fashion icon, and he really is on a -- on a par with the likes of Tiger Woods. So an absolutely huge deal this and awful lot of excitement here in Madrid.

COSTELLO: Where's his wife? Is Spice going to be there, too, or Posh? It's Posh, right, Posh Spice?

RIDDELL: Victoria, I think. People still know her as Posh in England, but Victoria is her name. I don't think she'll be actually on the stage, but she has been wining and dining with David Beckham here in Madrid and she will be by his side throughout most of his trip. But I don't think we'll actually expect to see her here today. But she plays a very important part in the whole marketing strategy of David Beckham.

COSTELLO: I guess I should ask you some sports questions right now, but we're really interested in the Hollywood aspect of this couple. Where are they going to live, because I understand there was some controversy over that, perhaps?

RIDDELL: Well they reckon -- he looked at -- one of the real estate agents was showing one of our other correspondents around a house that he may look at which is worth around four million pounds. That actually might not be enough for David Beckham. He's got an awful lot of money to spend. He earned around $15 million last week alone on a tour of the Far East. So can...

COSTELLO: He's coming out.

RIDDELL: He could live next door to the king of Spain if he so desired. COSTELLO: Don, tell us about this, he's coming out now.

RIDDELL: He's here. This really is, in terms of football transfers here in Europe, the biggest we have ever seen. He's actually not the most expensive transfer, but in terms of glamour and celebrity, this is huge. They are making an awfully big deal of this here in Madrid.

COSTELLO: Yes, that was quite some music they played upon his entrance.

RIDDELL: We're going to be seeing an awful lot more of him. He's actually going back to the Far East in a few weeks time on a tour that will net another $15 million for the club. He's -- they admit they are buying him as much as an asset on the field as off it. They will make most of the money back on shirt sales alone with his name on the back.

COSTELLO: I'm sure. Don Riddell, we're going to let you go, and we'll get back to you when David Beckham begins speaking.

All right, David Beckham and Real Spain joining his new soccer team.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com