Do footballers get paid too much?

Who pays footballers?

Football is by far the most popular sport in Britain and perhaps in the rest of Europe as well. Every team is supported by thousands of fans who pay to see them playing live, they buy their teams clothes and accessories to show their support and they are passionate about it.

As popular as football is, there has always been debates on the footballers' wages. Top players like David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, Kaká and Ronaldhino earn millions of pounds a year for their skills and it's these high salaries that some people think they don't deserve.

Football clubs choose to pay players a certain amount based on conditions. A player can be paid to sign up to a club for a certain amount of years and can be paid for the different games they take part in. So where do the clubs get the money to pay so their players so much?

Most football club's income come from being sponsorship. Organisations and companies pay to have thier products and services advertised. The club Arsenal is sponsored by Emirates, AIG sponsors Manchester United etc. These type of companies usually pay a lot for advertising, and they probably pay more for advertising in football as fans and supporters of teams are from all around the world, so their brands are sure to be spotted.

Here is a list of the sort of things that generate football clubs income:

• Football games tickets
• Replica clothes and accessories, including T-shirts, shorts,jumpers, posters, arm bands, hats, scarfs, etc.
• Sky subscription, Sky Sports 1,2 & 3 show live games
• Sponsors' products purchased during games

What's the salary range?

The amount footbAllers earn Depend on which rank they are in, Premiere League footballers are amongst the most well paid players, whereas players from lower divisions earn much less.

Below is an outline of the top footballers' salaries per year as of January 2009. The figures are an approximation as players sign different deals frequently.

• David Beckham - LA Galaxy - Earns £125m
• Michael Owen - Newcastle United £40m
• Wayne Rooney - Manchester United £35m
• Rio Ferdinand - Manchester United £28m
• Robbie Fowler - unattached £28m
• Sol Campbell - Portsmouth £28m
• Ryan Giggs -Manchester United £23m
• Michael Ballack - Chelsea £20m
• Frank Lampard - Chelsea £20m
• Steven Gerrard - Liverpool £19m
• Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United £18m
• John Terry - Chelsea £17m
• Didier Drogba - Chelsea £15m
• Nicolas Anelka - Chelsea £14m
• Damien Duff - Newcastle United £14m

Your comments

• Yes they get millions of pounds a year, whilst people throughout the world live on less than 10 p a day. It is appalling... crazyirishhamster
• footballers get millions a week for a kicking a ball i think its unfair i think nurses fireman and who people who save lives should b paid more... esyesyesy
• I think that they should definately give money to charity... U13838110
• they are in the entertainment business therefore will get millions like all actors singers etc... wendywink
• ...they don't exactly do anything for the world, oblivliam1
• They are paid too much to just do something ot most people is just a hobby If anyone was going to be paid that much it should be some types of doctors ping0013
• ...footballs about the sport and the enjoyment of the game, but to me all players no matter how good they are, or what league they play in should all be paid the same amount of money U13886596
• Can i just point out that footballers DONT get millions a week. The average weekly wage for premiership footballers is £13000... U13908449