David Beckham goes on an emotional rollercoaster for new documentary “Beckham”

Category: (Self-Study) Sports

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In the new Netflix documentary “Beckham,” former soccer star David Beckham looks back at the hateful treatment he received following his infamous 1998 FIFA World Cup red card.

The four-part series explores Beckham’s upbringing and his triumphs on the field, but perhaps the most difficult part was revisiting his painful sending-off during England’s World Cup match against Argentina.

Beckham was red-carded after being pushed to the ground and lashing out after kicking the back of Diego Simeone’s leg. England’s World Cup hopes were crushed, and Beckham went from hero to villain.

“Beckham” lays bare the condemnation from both the British tabloids and soccer fans, with one “supporter” hanging an effigy of the player from a noose outside a London pub.

The documentary also touches upon Beckham’s move from a player to a cultural icon and entrepreneur. He was a trailblazer in the sport thanks to collaborations with brands including Adidas, Armani, and Breitling.

“I always made sure that whatever I was doing off the field never affected what I was doing on the field because that was what I loved and what was important to me.”

His business savvy culminated in ownership of his own soccer team, Inter Miami.

“I had the opportunity to play in different countries, move to America, obviously have my own franchise and my own team, become an owner,” he said. “So then once I finished playing, I knew that the moment I finished playing, I could then jump into the business. But, we were working on that a long time before that.”

Looking back on the highs and lows of his career, it’s natural to wonder if Beckham has any regrets.

“Do I wish things hadn’t happened? Absolutely. Do I wish ‘98 hadn’t happened? Absolutely.”

But, by the end of his career, he realized everything happens for a reason.

“It made me stronger as a person, as a player, as a human being, and as a father as a husband,” he said. “And if that hadn’t have happened, I maybe I wouldn’t have had the career that I had.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

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[Trailer clip of “Beckham”]

David Beckham (interview): “People kept on telling me you need to make a life documentary at some point about your journey, about your career, about your life. I’ve never talked about these certain moments in my career and in my life, so I knew I wanted to make it. I knew that I wanted to bring it out on the 10th year of my retirement and who knew whether we could make that happen or not but luckly we could.”

[Trailer clip of “Beckham”]

David Beckham (interview): “To to look back at, you know, my career and my life over, you know, over the last 25 years, especially of my career, was actually really nice because I’m not a person that sits and reflects on, you know, past achievements and things like that. So this whole process has been like an emotional rollercoaster.”

[Trailer clip of “Beckham”]

David Beckham (interview): “Without a doubt, me getting out of London at that time and becoming a Manchester United player, you know, in the north, you know, surrounded by, you know, unbelievable people – that for me without doubt helped me, you know, have the success and have the career that I had and having the discipline of Sir Alex Ferguson possibly was one of the biggest reasons why I was able to succeed.”

[Trailer clip of “Beckham”]

David Beckham (interview): “I hadn’t actually watched it. I hadn’t actually watched it and I hadn’t actually watched like the interviews and what people said about me after. So that was actually part of the toughest part of… that was probably the toughest part of the documentary. One of the toughest parts of the documentary to talk through. It wasn’t just stepping onto a football pitch, it was every time that I went out and in my car and people stopped me and spat at my window and, you know, all of those things, and then walking into a restaurant knowing that everybody in there hates you. I knew it was bad at the time, but going over that whole, that whole thing was quite a tough one.”

[David Beckham exiting airport after 1998 FIFA World Cup loss]

David Beckham (interview): “I was surrounded by obviously amazing teammate, Sir Alex Ferguson. Manchester United fans was the biggest probably reason I got through what I got through at that time on the pitch, because they were unbelievable to me. Family members. But back then there wasn’t anyone turning round to me and saying, ‘Are you okay? Are you sure you’re okay? Let’s talk about it.’ Because, you know, 25 years ago, if I did turn around to my dad and said that I don’t feel great, he would’ve said, ‘Boy, just get on with it.’ So it was difficult. And I don’t know how I got through it at times, but looking back on it, it makes me realize how tough it was and how difficult it was and how much, you know, I kind of grew as a player and also as a person.”

[Trailer clip of “Beckham”]

David Beckham (interview): “You know, my first contract was when I was 18 or 19-years-old with Brylcreem. And that was something that, you know, players weren’t really doing at that time. And then obviously the tattoos and then people start talking about the brand and things like that. But it happened very naturally. I then realized, ‘Okay, at some point I’m going to retire and I’m going to want to keep busy because I like to work. I like to travel.’ So then we started planning for the future. And then obviously I had the opportunity to play in different countries, move to America, obviously have my own franchise and my own team, become an owner. So then once I finished playing, I knew that the moment I finished playing, I could then jump into the business.”

[Trailer clip of “Beckham”]

David Beckham (interview): “I don’t regret anything in my career. Do I wish things hadn’t happened? Absolutely. Do I wish ’98 hadn’t happened? Absolutely. But after a few years of thinking that was a really tough time, I then started thinking well it must have happened for a reason. And then at the end of my career, I think, ‘Oh, that’s why it happened.’ It made it… It made me stronger as a person, as a player, as a human being, as a father, as a husband. And if that hadn’t have happened, maybe I wouldn’t have had the career that I had.”

[Trailer clip of “Beckham”]

This script was provided by The Associated Press.