Both player and club have a lot to prove after a season that ended disastrously without a single piece of silverware. No one can begin to understand Real Madrid and its culture without realising the huge weight of history that the club carries on its shoulders - the memories of European triumphs, the self-belief of being the biggest and the best. Real Madrid has had some of the best players in football history but none of them have managed to be bigger than the club. Madridistas are the most demanding fans in the world. They seek instant gratification. Beckham has a triple challenge. He has to prove himself as a great Real Madrid player. The club itself under its new manager Camacho and following its new signings - Woodgate, Owen, Samuel etc.-needs to recover its majesty and sense of invincibility both in the Primera Liga and in Europe. And thirdly, Beckham's family life needs to find its stability in Spain after the disruption of the alleged affair revelations. It ain't going to be easy. Could Spain prove Beckham's coming of age as one of world football's greats or could it turn into his nemesis? That is the question.