Madrid favorite to retain Spanish title

Real Madrid's attacking prowess makes it hot favorite to retain its title when the 2003-2004 Spanish league season kicks off this weekend, although there are doubts over how much David Beckham will contribute and how well its defense will stand up.

Star players Ronaldo, Raul Gonzalez, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo _ who netted 58 times last season _ look likely to earn Madrid a record 30th championship and its third in the last four years.

But will Beckham prove a help or a hindrance?

The midfielder's arrival from Manchester United in June appeared to make perfect financial sense for Madrid as he is the most marketable player in the world, yet there is uncertainty over his role on the field.

So far, new coach Carlos Queiroz has played Beckham on the right and in the center of midfield but in his most recent games against Valencia and Mallorca he has looked short of confidence.

Madrid's president Florentino Perez, who has signed Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham in successive summers, insists the England captain is a worthwhile addition.

"Madrid signs players who are the best in the world. Beckham is exactly the same as Zidane, Figo and Ronaldo," Perez said this summer.

Yet Beckham has also been viewed as a 35 million luxury item when the club's most pressing requirement is a new central defender.

"It is generally accepted in Spain that Madrid needed strengthening in other areas of the field," Madrid's former coach John Toshack said recently.