Paris St Germain's David Beckham reacts during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match against Barcelona at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris, April 2, 2013.
He’s arguably the most famous soccer player on the planet, rich beyond belief and possessed with a sublime talent that has taken him to some of the world’s biggest clubs. But that doesn’t mean that David Beckham doesn’t understand “sacrifice.”
The 37-year-old told CNN that he’s finding it hard to be apart from his wife Victoria and their four children, who stayed behind in London while Beckham plays for Paris Saint-Germain.
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But while Beckham has said he’s giving his entire salary to a local charity, that’s not to say his life in the City of Light isn’t comfortable. Beckham’s current abode is the Le Bristol hotel, where the lavish, 3,400-sq.-ft. Imperial Suite comes with three bedrooms, a dressing room, and a massive pink marble bathroom. The price? A reported $21,000 per night.
But as Beckham has made clear, it’s still not easy:
“That’s the sacrifice I have to make as a father and as a husband: being away from my family. It is only for a short time, but it’s difficult being away from the children every single day. But they understand it. They understand that Daddy works hard.”
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It may not be as short as Beckham imagined: while the deal he signed in January was only for five months, PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi has said he wants to extend the arrangement for another season, reported Reuters — potentially keeping Becks in Paris until May 2014.
The midfielder was a surprise starter in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final match against Barcelona, and played for 70 out of the 90 minutes. Beckham refused to be drawn on his future after Tuesday’s 2-2 tie, saying, “Let’s wait and see. Let’s recover from this game tonight and enjoy the rest of the season.”