Footballers. The typical weekly wage is now an average of £60,000 a week. The highest earner in the Premier League at the moment is, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, who now earns £145,000 a week after signing a new contract with Manchester United.
Compare that to a Police Officer. A profession in which you risk your life every day, and they get £20,000 a YEAR. This means that it would take your average Police Officer 7 and a half years to earn what Ronaldo does in seven days.
How the hell is that fair? To make matters worse, some soldiers get paid £15,000 a year. They're fighting in a war zone. Ronaldo runs around after a football. Fair? Haha.
Take a monumental twat like Ashley Cole, who had the audacity to complain about receiving JUST £55,000 A WEEK. He took the decision to leave Arsenal to move to Chelsea who have the dosh to give him what he wants.
Not long ago we had an appeal that asked every Premier League footballer to give just one days wages to help the NHS nurses who get crap money. £20,000 a year I believe. Some footballers had the cheek to say that nurses are overpaid. That's simply disgusting.
Now I'm not saying it's the footballers fault that nurses get sh*t wages, but they could easily afford to be of some assistance. What some footballers don't seem to realise, or care, is that every time they demand another £20,000 a week, they are pushing their fans closer to being out of pocket.
The Sun launched a campaign to bring prices down, and it worked at some clubs. However, the majority of those clubs were clubs that were not paying over £100,000 a week to almost every player.
It shows the difference when the people who either keep the safe from terrorists, yobs or keep us safe from diseases (not very well in some hospitals, but that's down to the cleaners) are driving home in crappy Nissan Micra, and footballers drive home in a flash new Bentley Continental GTC.
Anyone who supports the extortionate amount that footballers get obviously doesn't mind how much they pay for their ticket.
So, I wondered the other day, what would happen if FIFA put a worldwide wage cap on football? Wouldn't that be interesting?
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5 months ago
Well they're entertainers, aren't they? They are well paid like all entertainers do.
I read in the paper a few weeks ago, that young actress aged 22 (forgot her name) allegedly earned 22M in 2006 and 25M in 2005. She was only 22 yrs old...
Lebron James, reportedly, earns 27M annually at Cleveland Cavaliers...
If one is talented enough to make it in the entertainment business, then they'll make a lot of money. Its simple as that really...
from 3 months ago
what did you just call it entertainment...they make us relax...gives us happiness...it means they are adding something significant to our life span...because a psychologist would say when we laugh or relax we elongate our life span.....,so I'll go with ... they should be paid more since they do the doctor's work and others....,Henryphyl
5 months ago
But what do you think should get more money, "entertaining" or putting your life at risk/saving lives?
5 months ago
simple answer is yes
5 months ago
I agree with Salomon....this issue has come up before by the way.
Anyone can study and apply themselves and join the protective services.
Entertainers are a special group of gifted people who make us really happy.
It goes back as far as the court jesters who were given more freedom and benefits than the lords at times.
5 months ago
i think footballers are getting paid too much. i mean look at doctors and nurses they do so much and they dont even get much. i think football is cool because im a fan of man u but they get paid too much.
5 months ago
I agree that anyone can study and apply themselves, but theres a line where money is concerned: Should a doctor who saves lives get paid more than a footballer? Of course. Should footballers be paid exhorberant amounts of money for what they do? Well, yes, because, well, it's what they do.
However, I draw the line when players start whining and moaning about how they're not getting paid enough-they are getting paid more than pretty much the rest of the world and they're seemingly ungrateful for the fact. A little maturity and grace would go a long way for some of them.
And as for paying the wages-no fan should be out of pocket all because some ungrateful 20-something year old thinks he deserves more just because he's a good football player. The fans are the club's lifeblood, and it's important that they are treated as such.
from 5 months ago
Christopher - I dont think most footballers just wake up one day and ask for a pay rise. Its when negotiating a new deal that these issues come up. I agree that some players are freakin' ungrateful. However, some players rightfully claim they should be paid more even if, they get ridiculously high amount of money already. Point in case, Claude Makelele at Real Madrid- was getting £16,000 a week. He rightfully demanded he deserved to get more than that. The reason? - His team mates were all getting wages in the region of £90,000 and £100,000 and he was getting 16,000??. Real madrid refused to give to his demand and he promptly moved on. Chelsea signed him the following summer and gave him his desired salary....
Then there are ungrateful little pricks like Ashley Cole. I like him as a player but the way he treated Arsenal and slated them in his auto biography was disgraceful.
Kobe Bryant was once offered a $50M a year contract back when he was 21 years old. He rejected it saying he is worth more. Lakers kindly offered a improved contract worth $70M a year which he accepted.
Entertainers ARE grossly overpaid but thats the world we live in. As SB said, anybody can study and become a doctor or a lawyer but it takes special skill and technique to become a top footballer..
5 months ago
$70million a year? bloody hell.
5 months ago
You get paid what you are worth and what people can afford, whatever your job.
People in the Army, Nurses, Policemen/women, are paid by us, the British public. We can pay them £1m a year if you want, are you ready for your taxes go up to 90% to pay for it? Or do you want all hospitals, police services, the army, to be ran as private enterprises, with no government control? You can't have it both ways.
Fans don't pay players wages, tv deals, sponsors, rich owners etc do. Match receipts make up a tiny amount of a top English football club's income. I am afraid your argument is far too simplistic.
David Beckham made Real Madrid a fortune in shirt sales and endorsements, so it is only right that he is paid a nice large percentage of that fortune. The size of the sums are irrelevant, he is paid what he is worth in the market place, and so is every other player. Its not 'fair', but thats capitalism for you.
4 months ago
dont forget that, nurses, teachers etc... get paid by public companies.
Man Unt, Chelsea ETC... are like private businesses, they pay to satisfy. the clubs get huge income, and they players use that. football is a big competition at the moment, its just, money, money & money.
I my self thought about the same thing you said, about Fifa putting a maximum wage pay a week. but i thought about £40.000 a week Max.
Nice (informal) article. Hehe. (twat Ashley Cole)
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