The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Fall
The fall-out from Euro 2004 elimination is threatening the reputations and careers of some of the major stars who crashed out with their teams, specifically David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.
It's just a game, apparently. Well, tell that to the stars of Euro 2004 who are facing an ignominious fall from grace in the aftermath of their teams elimination from the European Championships. When a kick of the ball or a bad result can wipe away the memories of awe-inspiring performances, the years spent carving hard won respect and the struggle to maintain flawless reputations then it's much, much more than a game. It is past, present and future wrapped up in one very fragile package.
The trials and tribulations currently facing damaged icons such as David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane are evidence of the rapidly spinning carousel of public opinion and taste. They are indicative of the modern transformation of footballers from athletes to celebrities and a sign of the times where private lives make as many headlines as achievements on the field.
In these days of fashion contracts, promotional duties and marketable qualities, there are many more areas to exploit than just the work carried out on the pitch. The network which supports the soccer star's elevation to icon status is one reminiscent of a house of cards, each one a different persona created to enlarge the player beyond his core strength. One gust of bad publicity can force the whole cultivated image to wobble, one missed penalty can bring it all crashing down.
David Beckham is a man who has already seen one house of cards hit by a bulldozer and is facing an even bigger demolition job this time around. Back in 1998, Beckham effigies were burning outside stadiums the length and breadth of the U.K. just days after the impetuous boy wonder of the England World Cup team had been sent off against Argentina in the quarter-final elimination of his team. To his considerable credit, Beckham weathered that particular storm to ascend to the heights of England captain. On his way to that summit, his advisors cleverly began building the Beckham brand through endorsements and eventually a big-money move to Real Madrid which sent Beckham global.
Terrible year begins in Spain
Beckham's right foot took England to Japan/Korea in 2002. His leadership took them to Euro 2004. But then came Beckham's annus horribilis. Madrid were heading to their first trophy-free season in five years, Beckham's temperament and form were suspect, his private life rife with rumors of infidelity. Not the perfect background for leading England to European glory. Surely things couldn't get any worse? But then they did.
Beckham's below-par performances, lack of focus and fitness, and those two missed penalties turned the limelight into an ugly spotlight which exposed all the blemishes. Captain Invincible had been shown up as a fallible human; the opposite of the image his marketing people had been hanging their products on.
The commercial impact of Beckham's underachievement has already begun. The Far East market, which underpins his commercial value, has turned against him. "Blow it like Beckham," read a front-page headline of Singapore's Straits Times, along with a photograph of him slumped on the ground after his quarter-final penalty miss. "In just one season, the world has witnessed the downfall of the game's most phenomenal brand, " wrote Singapore's Sunday Times. "One so ubiquitous in its global attack that it seems such a shame he is now defenseless in defeat, because, with or without his famed right foot, the poor fellow really isn't skilful enough."
Marketing plan over football
The tabloid paper New did not hold back either. "No-one is more over-hyped than David Beckham. And no-one is more underachieved."
Then former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz claimed the signing of Beckham had made the team 'unbalanced' and was done solely for 'marketing' purposes. Already talks are doing the rounds that Real could cut their losses and sell the England captain just one year after he signed for _37.2 million (�25 million).
Most recently, the backlash has hit street level. A photographic portrait of Beckham at London's Royal Academy of Arts had to be removed from display after being defaced by graffiti. The words "You loosers" was written in indelible red felt pen on the 1.5 meter high picture of Beckham in an exhibition of pictures of the world's greatest living soccer players.
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