Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has recalled David Beckham to the first team. It’s anyone’s guess as to why. For the past month, in which Beckham has been watching games from a box in the stands, both Capello and the Real management have insisted time and again that the former England captain’s days in a Madrid shirt are over. His heart is now set on Hollywood, they’ve said, so they can’t possibly play him.
As the criticism piled up, Capello’s anti-Beckham stance vacillated. At one point, the Real coach said he might reconsider. When he didn’t, he claimed Beckham was injured. A week or so later, the Englishman and fellow outcast Antonio Cassano could still be seen training separately from the rest of the squad. At that point, Capello said he was no longer interested in Beckham, saying Real had not won a trophy during Beckham’s three seasons with Real.
Now the Italian coach tells the press that Beckham’s positive attitude in training has earned him a recall to the squad. All of a sudden, Capello says, “I’m counting on him until the end of the season.” But the Real coach makes no mention of his players’ public request that Beckham be returned to the first team. Nor does he have anything to say about Madrid’s terrible run of results, the negative publicity in the press, or the fans’ request that he quit. One thing’s for sure, Capello is badly in need of a PR boost. And some goals. In a PR crunch, there’s no one better to turn to, but wouldn’t it be quite the fairytale if Becks could help turn Real’s season around?