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Beckham picks Roberto Carlos as coach for Miami MLS project
David Beckham's legendary former Real Madrid team-mate is the choice to take charge of the future franchise, set to get going in 2018Champions League semi-final draw: live online
David Beckham has already begun sounding out names to bolster his Major League Soccer project in Miami, which remains slated for a 2018 start.
The former England captain recently declared that he has received a raft of calls from top players in Europe. First of all, however, he wants to tie down a head coach in the coming months, with a view to planning the franchise's future together with the man in the dugout.
And AS.com understands that that coach is set to be Roberto Carlos. The legendary full-back is currently first-team boss of Indian Super League outfit Delhi Dynamos, having also had managerial stints in Russia (with Anzhi Makhachkala) and Turkey (Sivasspor and Belediyespor).
He is believed to have told former Real Madrid team-mate Beckham that he's keen, at the same time moving to cool talks with Los Blancos chief Florentino Pérez over a future position within the Spanish giants' youth system.
During his career, Beckham worked with a whole host of managers for club and country, and sets great store by coaches who have played the game at the highest level. He has always attributed great importance to the ability of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti to place themselves in their charges' shoes.
Carlos meets that requirement, and has now built up four years of coaching experience. On top of that, his image fits the bill. In addition to the likelihood that his Real Madrid past would make him a popular choice among the Hispanic community in Miami, he'd also be an attractive appointment for the 44,000 Brazilians who live in and around the Florida city.
And a source close to the project has revealed to AS USA that this particular factor saw Paul Scholes, Beckham's initial preference for the role, ruled out.
The Manchester United great, a close friend of 'Becks' from their time together at Old Trafford and with the international set-up, is interested in carving out a coaching career, but has been passed over by the franchise's ownership group due to his lack of draw in the Latin American market, a key consideration in a location such as Miami.
Carlos and Beckham have enjoyed an excellent relationship ever since their time together at Real, where they shared a dressing room between 2003 and 2007.