Do footballers earn too much money?

[Denish]

It seems today that professional footballers cannot get enough money. Even when established players that are happy and settled at a successful club earn more than enough money (lets say 80k a week - I mention no names 8) ), when an offer of an even higher paying contract comes around, they can't leave quick enough.

Surely the prospect of success and respect is worth more than an extra few grand per week? What could they even spend this money on that they couldn't already buy?

It's disgusting the amount of money these guys earn. I'm not saying professional football isn't a respectable career, because it is, but the reality is its entertainment, not a service to society. No other professional sport in the world pays this much money to it's players, with the exception of maybe basketball (I won't start on that).

Why is it that these fellas receive more money in a week than the majority do in 3 years? Where's the justice in that? Admittedly, many people are too lazy to work for money, and I hold no sympathy for them, but the others that work their arses off to support their family and help other people earn buttons in comparison to these 'entertainers'.

There is the argument that they bring in as much money as they earn, but so what? I write newspaper stories about other people - that doesn't mean they have to write newspaper stories about me in return!

The fact is NO ONE has the right to that much money, least of all men who run about all day kicking a ball over a field, the majority of which are moronic proletarians anyway.

I'm not saying these people have to receieve immediate pay cuts because unfortunately that would be totally unacceptable and would only result in all professional footballers going on strike or giving up entirely.

I merely want to get my point across, and ask other people what their opinions are.

Cheers.

 

[Henry IV]

Yeah I agree with you. The amount of money floating around in the game is obscene. How much of the money that they earn over their career are they going to spend? Only a tiny fraction. It's crazy.

 

[RocktheCasbah]

Well, obviously they're paid too much. But it's the way of the world, and the best players can now coomand ridiculous salaries. I don't really begrudge a Thierry or a Dennis or an AShley their money, they're at the top of the game and should be rewarded. But Franny earning £40k p/w? Michael Ricketts driving a Ferrari? Just because he's lucky enough to be in a job where even mediocre players are well rewarded? Madness, say I.

So yes

 

[Soler]

I think this would be better off in General Football talk.

 

[Adam]

It depends on how you judge working relativity. Personally, i do not think that amount of work = this amount of money. This is the way a capitalist and commercial society works however.

Footballers do have a talent, just as people in business who earn ridiculous money have worked their way up using their heads, but none of it is relative to what they earn in comparison to other people. The world has 1 billion people living on less than 60 pence a day.

You have to go to the root of the problem, really, to solve the whole thing - otherwise you face the inevitable and scaling path of it getting worse. Unfortunately, the powers that be - will not work towards this, so clubs enforcing wage caps is essentially a good idea. It is down the clubs to show sense and that the power is shifted back to them, rather than the players or the agents.

Although, some would argue it is better seeing the money go to players than to the clubs who will just raise transfer fees with the money gained from wage caps.

So it becomes more of an ethical debate rather than a footballing one.

 

[Denish]

I think a possible solution to the problem, despite being almost impossible to implement, would be to rally the largest and most influential clubs in the world together, and make a conscious effort to lower wages or to implement reasonable wage caps, as you say.

This would prevent the players from complaining as they would have no other clubs' financial situations to compare to, as the clubs they would reference would have reduced wages as well.

If this were to happen - unlikely, but still possible - hopefully the smaller clubs would follow suit and so cause a general drop in the amount of money involved in football.

 

[Adam]

High wages can be good for small clubs as it means they are more likely to be able to get players on free transfers because clubs lack money to buy and renew contracts. It does balance itself out, because it is the clubs incomes that is growing because of commercial exploits (television money and marketing whatnot)

You will not stop the clubs desire to increase income, and as long as there is that large amount of money going into football - it will be spread out in football. This means higher wages, and transfer fees as clubs compete for players and use different ways to entyce them.

Players wages is often relative to what the club earns (at Arsenal for example because we use intelligence in running our club). It's a general football problem too then perhaps in that sense.

But it is sure that if wages decrease, transfer fees then increase because clubs will always have the same income and it will increase or decrease. It's survival and competition.

If there was a wage cap invoked - i still believe clubs will defy it by offering players high bonuses and signing on fees in competition to sign them over another club. I am also sure some sly techniques on the side like a new house and car wouldn't be far away for a club like Madrid, or United, or Chelsea. Arsenal would do the same.

The spread of money could be evenly distributed throughout football and the leagues. Sven should not be getting 4 million a year for a start from the FA! This shows how sensible they are.

It's natural competition between clubs, in capitalism. You will not see charity and goodwill to lower league clubs who live of scraps. The inequality of the world in general because of human minds, is reflected also in football.

 

[JazzG]

Clubs pay them what they think they are worth, if they didn't pay them so much the clubs would get filthy rich very quickly. Bottom line is the club offered them x million a year and they accepted, people thinking they earn too much is mainly down to jealously more than anything. They live good lifes but they have to train hard everyday and every little mistake of theirs is picked up by the media and fans. The Media also can make their life hell, just ask Beckham.

 

[Sol man]

If someone was willing to offer you ridiculous money to do what you enjoy would you reject it? I certainly wouldn't. Its not only the footballers that should be blamed, clubs have a large share of that blame too.

 

[Denish]

I'm not blaming the footballers, I'm blaming the system! Up the revolution! Anarchy worldwide!

Joking aside, I know there's nothing we can do about it, it's the way the world works and tough **** basically.

I would not reject that amount of money, obviously, just saying that if i could change anything in football, that would be it.

 

[Anonymous]

Without a doubt. It is stupid how bad things are getting these days. Money is ruining football, look at chelsea. Players are now spoilt brats that screw their clubs. Loyalty is corrupted by money. I know i wouldnt turn down lots of money but that still doesnt make it right. These people do something we would all dream of doing and they get paid 500 times what us actual hard workers who make the world go round get paid. It is quite unfair but thats life. The worst thing is the young brats coming up that think they are the bollox and look down on everyone because they have money. They think they are all above the law and are right arrogant ****s, they are the ones who need a lesson and that is what money is doing sadly.

 

[Adam]

Do not forget agents. Like fight promoters, they live off the labour of others and work to increase the players wages.

Similar to ticks. Heh.

 

[beanz]

Do not forget agents. Like fight promoters, they live off the labour of others and work to increase the players wages.

Similar to ticks. Heh.

Parasiticus scratchiarsicus or a pain in the butt :mrgreen:

 

[Gooner83]

Yes they do, i really beleive its caused by inferior players demanding big wages and getting them... then a player comes around who is superior to them so you have to pay them more.

 

[gash]

Yes



There is no debate.

 

[efurze]

They make what the market will bear. You do exactly the same thing - if you don't you're a *****. How many professional players make more than a million a year? A few hundred? They're the top 0.000001% of humanity, in terms of athletic ability, and they have 15-year careers. At least they have an actual talent (unlike, for example, actors).

Who's to say what's too much? Whoever says a million a year is too much, I'm guessing 90% of humanity would say that you make too much too.

If you want to blame the 'system' then blame a society weened on tv and desperate for entertainment - that's the only root cause. And then stop watching.

 

[Spike]

Most people don't understand how it works.

Your employers pay you.

If you work for McDonalds, it's up to the Manager or whoever to decide how much you get. Ofcourse you won't be earning 80k a week, as the Franchise doesn't have an income of that calibar. So you'll be earning a reasonable wage depending on the Total Costs and the Sales Revenue.

Now if you play for Arsenal, it's up to the Manager/Chairman (mainly chairman) to decide how much you get paid. Arsenal have a very steady wage structure. As Arsenal have the high income, they have the ability to pay the players with high wages.

Now some of you say Firefighters and Police Officers should get paid more, (I'm assuming they get paid by the Government), so it's impossible. Where does the Government get the money to pay the Firefighters? Surely the Government have better things to spend their budget on.

So the reason Footballers get paid so much is because their employers have the ability to do so.

 

[tox]

Its not like all footballers get piad amazing amounts of money. Its like in any job, the people who are the best at what they do get a lot more money than people who are average.

 

[burnsjed]

No other professional sport in the world pays this much money to it's players, with the exception of maybe basketball (I won't start on that).

.

Unfortunately this is not true.
In the U.S Baseball, Basketball and American Football all earn a lot more money then their Football (Soccer) equivalents.
It's all to do with TV audience and how much the television companies pay.
Sure there is a salary cap, which is not based on per player, but per club, but the money these get paid would make their European equivalents eyes pop out!

 

[Loylz]

Most people don't understand how it works.

Your employers pay you.

If you work for McDonalds, it's up to the Manager or whoever to decide how much you get. Ofcourse you won't be earning 80k a week, as the Franchise doesn't have an income of that calibar. So you'll be earning a reasonable wage depending on the Total Costs and the Sales Revenue.

Now if you play for Arsenal, it's up to the Manager/Chairman (mainly chairman) to decide how much you get paid. Arsenal have a very steady wage structure. As Arsenal have the high income, they have the ability to pay the players with high wages.

Now some of you say Firefighters and Police Officers should get paid more, (I'm assuming they get paid by the Government), so it's impossible. Where does the Government get the money to pay the Firefighters? Surely the Government have better things to spend their budget on.

So the reason Footballers get paid so much is because their employers have the ability to do so.

Yes players get paid too much and I am against that but in this worls it is the survival of the fittest. You pay as much as you can to get the top talent. It's just they way things work.

Spike, it's not that McDonald's don't get a lot of revenue, they probably get more than Arsenal does, but how you have to spread the money around. McDonald has say a few million employees and has to pay each and every one of them, but a club like Arsenal has to pay about 30 odd people with the amount of money they rake in.