David Beckham says he will not be attending next week’s Champions League meeting of his former sides Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain — as he has other Valentine’s night plans with wife Victoria.
Beckham spent four years at the Bernabeu prior to moving to LA Galaxy in 2007, and then a short but successful five month spell at PSG in 2013.
Speaking to beinSPORTS, as reported by L’Equipe, the head of the new MLS franchise in Miami said he hoped to be at the Parc des Princes for the return on March 6, but it was unlikely he would be able to make it to the Bernabeu for the first leg on Feb. 14, given the timing.
“I’m planning on going to the second game,” Beckham said. “The first game is on Valentine’s Day and I’m not sure I can pull that one off. Even taking my wife for Valentine’s Day to the game, I’m not sure that would go down well either.”
The former England captain, ever the diplomat, said he still “loved both clubs with so much passion” and could not pick a favourite, although he thought that Madrid’s “big players” like Cristiano Ronaldo were likely to return to their best form on such a big occasion.
“It’s going to be an amazing game to watch,” he added, perhaps ruefully hoping he can catch the highlights when he gets home that night.
Dermot Corrigan is a Madrid-based football writer who covers La Liga and the Spain national team for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @dermotmcorrigan