Overpaid footballers.

[gemlady]

He's a spoiled, overgrown, overpaid big baby, throwing out his dummy because he can't get what he wants. I don't remember seeing anyone abduct him, put him into shackles and force him to sign the contract against his will. He is being paid an obscene amount of money for what he does, and I think it's insulting to the ticket paying fans to insinuate that he's a slave compared to the amount of money that they probably earn.

Sell him and good riddance!

[kirsty b]

I have never bought the short career argument for footballers - I would happily have my career cut short and have to do something else in my mid-30s if I had been paid £120k per week until then... or even just for one year at that salary.

Cor yeah, a year or maybe two at that salary, if looked after and not wasted, would set many people up for years if not life.

[Cloud]

I think that the quote about being a slave is one of the most idiotic, ill-thought out and stupid things ever said.

I just don't see how you can compare a slave to a footballer (of pretty much any division). Ronaldo earns over 400 times more than I do a week and he is complaining???

I would be happy with an annual salary of a quarter of what he earns a week!!

If he doesn't like being a "modern day slave" maybe he should resign and go and work in a factory for minimum wage, or stacking shelves in a supermarket, or better still in one of the Primark sweat-shops - then he'll feel a bit more vindicated....

OK, I'm stopping now, as this whole thing has really got me annoyed!

I think the reference to slave is not his earnings but the fact he is having trouble getting out of his contract!

[sharonr]

If footballers aren`t happy with their contracts why do they sign them. Is it because when they have signed theirs the next week someone signs a bigger one. (apparently with sponsership deals David Beckham is on over £400,000 a week, yes thats £400,000.)
I had an argument with a co-worker once about footballers, he was on about them being celebrities and I was arguing about them being sportsmen and not celebrities.
All they do is kick a bag of air around for a couple of hours a week.
If the football fans didn`t buy the tickets, merchandise etc, they wouldn`t get paid so much. And when you see them whining about their pay (like Frank Lampard wanting an extra £10,000 a week or he`s off to Milan) when everybody else has to tighten there belts does that seem right?
But if they deserve it then pay them it, but when they moan that they feel like a slave, just because they can`t get their own way then they don`t deserve the money.

[T.Austin]

If you've got a talent and you can earn from it use it.
If I could play football and earn millions from it themn I would'
Does Tiger Woods get slated for earning Millions from Golf?
Does Nadal get slated from earning millions from tennis?
Do people slate Hamilton for his millions no!
Nurses and Doctors Know what they will earn from their proffesion so if they don't like it don't do it!
I hear people everyday saying "I wouldn't get out of bed for that" well don't then.
Its like saying Coldplay only sing and they earn millions but its a disgrace!good luck to all of them and make the most of it!!!!

[Rhona]

If you've got a talent and you can earn from it use it.
If I could play football and earn millions from it themn I would'
Does Tiger Woods get slated for earning Millions from Golf?
Does Nadal get slated from earning millions from tennis?
Do people slate Hamilton for his millions no!
Nurses and Doctors Know what they will earn from their proffesion so if they don't like it don't do it!
I hear people everyday saying "I wouldn't get out of bed for that" well don't then.
Its like saying Coldplay only sing and they earn millions but its a disgrace!good luck to all of them and make the most of it!!!!

...it's not slating the amount...it's the whining about it not being enough...

My fave CAshley A****ole springs to mind.

[sharonr]

If you've got a talent and you can earn from it use it.
If I could play football and earn millions from it themn I would'
Does Tiger Woods get slated for earning Millions from Golf?
Does Nadal get slated from earning millions from tennis?
Do people slate Hamilton for his millions no!
Nurses and Doctors Know what they will earn from their proffesion so if they don't like it don't do it!
I hear people everyday saying "I wouldn't get out of bed for that" well don't then.
Its like saying Coldplay only sing and they earn millions but its a disgrace!good luck to all of them and make the most of it!!!!

We would all like to earn more money. But it seems that only footballers moan that they are not being paid enough.
For and Ronaldo to say that he feels like a slave is an insult to people who even today are being used like slaves and not being paid.(yes this is still happening in this country).

[Cloud]

He's not moaning about the amount!He's moaning about being tied to his contract!

[Cloud]

If you've got a talent and you can earn from it use it.
If I could play football and earn millions from it themn I would'
Does Tiger Woods get slated for earning Millions from Golf?
Does Nadal get slated from earning millions from tennis?
Do people slate Hamilton for his millions no!
Nurses and Doctors Know what they will earn from their proffesion so if they don't like it don't do it!
I hear people everyday saying "I wouldn't get out of bed for that" well don't then.
Its like saying Coldplay only sing and they earn millions but its a disgrace!good luck to all of them and make the most of it!!!!

I agree with you,
If I could earn millions painting road signs for example ,then complained that I wasn't earning enough but nurses wern't earning as much as me does that make it wrong?

[di]

He's not moaning about the amount!He's moaning about being tied to his contract!

1.A contract is a contract!
2.Why don't the players have the same dedication to their team as the fans?
3.oops I forgot they only in it for the money!!

[Cloud]

1.A contract is a contract!
2.Why don't the players have the same dedication to their team as the fans?
3.oops I forgot they only in it for the money!!

Yes I agree but I blame it on the influx of foreign players,
Years ago when all teams had British players[there was such a time once]you played for your local team.
If we didn't pay to watch these games or buy the merchandise then teams could not afford to pay these players large amounts,yes football is all about money and the pride has gone but as I earlier if youv'e got the talent then good on yer and if clubs are stupid enough to pay these wages then so be it.
It will never change until we stop watching/paying.

[Mikey]

Nice debate, here's my two penneth.

The problem with the scenario is that Ronaldo has signed a contract for 4 years worth 120K per week, Real Madrid have offered him £160K. Ronaldo is portuguese and his favourite team growing up were Real Madrid. This is his opportunity to play for his childhood dream club with a 25% pay rise, come on if you were in his shoes would you not also be kicking your toys out of the pram.

But, think about it from a different view point as an employee how much notice do you have to give or be given by your employer if you wish to move, a week to a month. It is in the footballers interest to get the best deal he can for himself, and I daresay that is what Ronaldo thought he had until Real Madrid's offer. These men are young, arrogant, spontaneous, hotheaded, all traits of a footballer. Why do we expect them to be perfect gentlemen off the field? I say let him out of his contract, but make the footballers association aware of the consequences of his actions. If he is let out of his contract then a contract no longer mean anything, so the upshoot for the club is, if the player isn't all he's cracked up to be, dump him, and get someone else, if he get injured dump him and get someone else.

Sometimes in life the consequences of one persons actions can have major reprocussions for all others in their profession. If Ronaldo is allowed to ignore his contract then he opens the doors for clubs to also ignore the contracts of the players whenever it suits them. Apart from the top few clubs where the players can hold their own think about the eventual outcome of this decision to all the semi pro players out there who get injured or just don't quite cut the mustard.

[OverWyreGrower]

I think the reference to slave is not his earnings but the fact he is having trouble getting out of his contract!

I know, but most people who work have contracts! If I want to change jobs, I have to work my notice period.

If you're a (good?) footballer surely there is always the fact that someone is going to come along and offer you more money to play for them?

I just think the comment re "slaves" was an ill thought out reference and totally inappropriate.

As for the state of the footballing contracts, if a player can get out of it, as Ronaldo probably will, the clubs should also have the option to dump a player, even if he is "in contract" for another few years.

[Cloud]

I think you'll find it was Blatter that metioned the slave thing.
Any way maybe Ronaldo should listen to Pele who said"You are only a slave if you are not getting paid"

[skegblade]

Why does everyone assume all footballers are on fantastic wages. If you go outside the premiership into the lower leagues the players are on FAR less money and the lower you go the less they earn. I agree that no one moans when other sports stars earn millions from their talents and as for them only doing it for the money; don't we all do our jobs for the money we earn.