David Beckham

The conditions were biblical and so, too, was David Beckham’s response: “Someone up there is watching over us,” he said. Rain drummed a patchwork pitch, thick fingers of lightning reached across the sky and as news spread of Lionel Messi re-enacting Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal for Barcelona, Real Madrid supporters clutched theirs together as if in supplication.

In any context, Saturday night would have counted as noteworthy, but with the destiny of the Spanish championship still to be determined, it was difficult not to be swayed by hysteria. Courtesy three draws, controversy, leaky defending and a plot that might have been directed by playful gods, Real, Barcelona or Seville could still claim the title on Sunday.

Yet momentum is not divided equally. As the final whistle pierced the thunder at Real Zaragoza’s tumbledown La Romareda stadium, a mass embrace of Madrid players was swarmed by cameras. RamóCalderóhas the same relationship with publicity that most humans have with oxygen, but the president’s jig in front of baying fans was excessive. He was serenaded with a chorus of “Campeones, campeones”.

If Calderó’s cavorting was indicative of his heady mood, the same applied to his misleading comments afterwards. Yet in raising the prospect of Beckham reneging on his $250 million (about £125 million) contract with Los Angeles Galaxy to remain in Madrid, he encapsulated the extent of the midfield player’s epic journey since the acute disappointment of the World Cup finals.

“Beckham has shown he is a great player with great pride,” Calderósaid. “He is performing at a high level and he battled against Zaragoza even though he was half-injured. The Madrid fans love him and I would like him to stay in the team. In the contract he signed with LA Galaxy, there is a clause allowing the player to back out.

“We have to sit down with him, his representatives and with Predrag Mijatovic (the Real sporting director), look at this clause and decide between all of us, but for me, I want him to remain at the club. There was anger over the announcement of his premature exit, but now we are going to try and push for him to stay.”

However, according to a source close to Beckham, there is no such escape clause in his five-year deal and, even if there was, he would have no interest in using it. “There have been no discussions and nothing has changed,” the source said. “If we were contacted, he’d say that he was leaving. But David wants to end on a high by winning something.”

That desire will be fulfilled if Real — who are level on points with Barcelona but lead by virtue of their superior head-to-head record — beat Real Mallorca at home in what is still scheduled to be Beckham’s final fling for the club. Their great rivals, deflated by the concession of a last-minute equaliser to Espanyol, travel to Gimnastic, who have been relegated.

[Real coach Fabio Capello also admitted he was wrong to drop Beckham earlier this season, report agencies from Madrid. Capello benched Beckham in January, questioning his motivation, after the England star signed a five-year deal to join the LA Galaxy.

“We all made mistakes over Beckham,” Capello said in an interview Monday with a Spanish daily. “The sporting staff decided things and I’m responsible for that section of the club, but the truth is, we got things wrong with him. It’s a shame he’s going. He has now recovered his best physical and psychological form. He is a great player and is now playing as he did when he was at Manchester United,” Capello said.

The Real coach also echoed comments by Calderon that he would like Beckham to stay at Madrid rather than join the Galaxy next month. “He would be an important player for Madrid, definitely,” he said. “If the club told me Beckham was staying, I would be happy.”]

Beckham’s presence has coincided with four barren years of bluster and mismanagement, but redemption is belatedly looming over him.

“We have got to win on Sunday and that’s all that matters,” the England midfield player, who was hobbling gingerly towards the team coach, said. “The most important thing is that we don’t get carried away because it’s not over, we haven’t won the league yet. But we have put ourselves in a great position. We can take a lot from the night. We showed our character towards the end.”

Beckham’s crosses, free-kicks, discipline and enthusiasm were impressive, if not pivotal. For the last eight minutes on Saturday, with his ankle problem returning and Capello’s three substitutions made, he ran with a heavy limp. “It’s painful, but I’ve got time to get over it,” he said.

It was an evening that toyed with the emotions, but it felt right. If Spain’s remarkable season has to end, why not end it like Beckham?