Augsburg midfielder Ji Dong-won (left) celebrates his goal on Saturday. (AFP-Yonhap News)
PARIS (AP) ― Never a stranger to the big stage, David Beckham was finally overwhelmed and reduced to tears as he went out in a burst of fireworks and cheers Saturday in his final home game for Paris Saint-Germain before retirement.
Fans chanted his name before the game, and they chanted some more when he was finished. There was an outpouring of hugs, cheers, song and congratulations ― from teammates, opponents and even former President Nicolas Sarkozy.
“To end my career in front of a crowd like that, with players like that, it’s very special,” Beckham said, adding that emotions had already started overpowering him before he was taken off.
“It started about 20 minutes before that, to be honest. I started thinking and then, you know, I couldn’t concentrate by then, and it was difficult,” he said. “You know, you try to hold the emotion back because it is what it is, but it’s difficult.”
There also was some soccer to be played. And Beckham, appointed captain for the game, was involved in two of his team’s goals in a 3-1 victory over Brest.
He drew a roaring standing ovation and wiped away tears when he left in the 81st minute. As the match drew to a close, Beckham appeared to tire, putting his hands on his thighs as he leaned forward.
“I want to say thank you to everybody in Paris. To my teammates, to the staff, to the fans,” Beckham told the fans after the game. “It’s been very special to finish my career here. It could not have been any more special.”
One after another, the players then walked out onto a makeshift podium in the middle of the field and thanked the crowd after the game had ended.
When it was Beckham’s turn to climb onto the podium, the Beatles song “Hello, Goodbye” rang out as the stadium’s big screen beamed pictures of Beckham’s short PSG career and flashed another message of thanks.
Italy
Sampdoria became the only team to beat Juventus twice in the Italian league under coach Antonio Conte, securing a 3-2 victory over the newly crowned Serie A champion.
Eder, Lorenzo De Silvestri and Mauro Icardi helped Sampdoria come from behind after Fabio Quagliarella had scored against his former team. Emanuele Giaccherini reduced the deficit in stoppage time.
Earlier, Sassuolo clinched promotion to Serie A for the first time in its history, finishing as Serie B champions following a last-gasp 1-0 victory over third-placed Livorno.
Hellas Verona was also promoted as runners-up after a scoreless draw against fourth-place Empoli. A playoff involving the teams which finished third to sixth will determine the third team to get promoted.
Spain
Real Sociedad came back to win 2-1 at Sevilla and Valencia beat Getafe 1-0, both teams remaining tied on points in their fight for a fourth-place finish in the Spanish league.
Sociedad remained ahead of fifth-place Valencia on head-to-head goal difference and in control of Spain’s last Champions League spot with two rounds to go.
The Basque side fell behind 10 minutes in at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium when Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic slotted in a back pass from Geoffrey Kondogbia. But Rakitic’s own goal when he headed a free kick into his team’s net in the 16th tied it, and striker Imanol Agirretxe swept in Carlos Martinez’s lobbed pass to give Sociedad the lead for good in the 24th with his 13th goal of the season.
Germany
Schalke clinched Germany’s last Champions League spot with a 2-1 win over Freiburg in the final round of Bundesliga games, while Fortuna Duesseldorf was relegated after losing 3-0 at Hannover.
Hoffenheim escaped automatic demotion with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Borussia Dortmund, but still faces a playoff to stay in the top flight.
Augsburg took advantage of Duesseldorf’s loss by beating bottom side Greuther Fuerth 3-1 to clinch survival, and Eintracht Frankfurt drew 2-2 with Wolfsburg to join Freiburg in next season’s Europa League.