Do you think it's fair that football/soccer players in Europe should get paid as much as they do?

Question

Football is my most favourite sport to watch, play or talk about. And in recent years there have been some major changes concerning the amount that players are paid in the several European leagues. And I don't think it's fair or is doing football itself any good. The game is actually becoming business oriented. I think we have come to a point where players are paid more than they actually deserve. What I think would be a smart move is to reduce the amount that the players in the top leagues are paid
and distribute it to the lower divisions and build more or improve the already existing football academies.

Answer 1

I doubt whether that would be legal. One of the reasons that players are paid more is that they attract the fans who follow the team and when a better player plays for your team, he will win more matches for you , which leads to more fans and so on, creating a virtuous cycle.

In addition, it gives motivation for a youngster to start off in a lower league as they have something to aspire to, i am sure every kid footballer who is a forward/striker wants to become a Wayne Rooney in England.

Reducing the money paid to a top footballer through such a move will make top players move from an European league to other leagues which pay more (At the end of the day, the player has only 10 years or so in which to perform and earn enough for the rest of his life). This will in turn cause standards of the league to drop thus reducing fan following a negative cycle which can decimate the game in the country eventually.

At the end of the day, it is a market, where players like everything else will discover their fair price.

Answer 2

of course it's fair! people are willing to pay them that much aren't they? the "game" has been a business ever since people could make a living from it. the market decides what a player is worth, it's called capitalism. first of all your plan isn't legal or practical, and second all you would do drive players to leagues where they can make more money. teams do already put quite a bit of money into their youth development programs. if people don't like the amount of money players get paid, they can stop buying tickets and all the other stuff that goes into the salaries. while i think that some players make an obscene amount of money, it's also a fact that most players play in the top leagues for about 10 years, as opposed to most people working about 40 years, and given taxes in the top brackets, they aren't actually getting anywhere near what their contracts pay them.

Answer 3

Football clubs argue that they are part of the entertainment business and therefore the performers (players) should be paid high salaries for taking part. But the wages are now utterly ridiculous and, especially for England's players, do not reflect their skills in any way - especially when compared with many European and South American sides (or even some African teams!).
I appreciate that a lot of cash comes into thegame via TV rights, but much of the money to pay the players comes from those who are willing to pay up to £50 to watch a team in the Premier league. And if a fan has a family that wants to watch, how on earth does s/he afford to pay for three of four tickets on a regular basis? Beats me!
I agree with the comment you made in your last paragraph. Grassroot teams and academies should be encouraged by a fairer distribution of football income.

Answer 4

I think Doctors & Infantrymen should get better wages and privileges also. As much as I love Football, lets put one of those Footballers in the Army and see how long they would last compared to kicking a ball around a pitch for 90 plus minutes. Definitely obscene money they're on... but what can we do, eh?

Answer 5

On one hand, these players are in high demand, as are actors and musicans, so I understand why they get paid so much money. But then again, that is money going to waste when it could be used to build schools, provide better supplies and wages for teachers, pave roads, support the elderly and homeless/poor, support 3rd world countries, and etc. We could be doing so much more for our world and making it a better place to live, but darn the world, as some people are just so ignorant as to what is going on around them and they only care about themselves. I'm not saying everyone here is like that, but out of the entirety of the world, it is.

Answer 6

Sounds good to me! American basketball players are wayyyy over paid. All the world's sports' players could use a little pay cut!

Answer 7

They dont get paid that much. American sports player's get paid a lot more on the whole.

Answer 8

speaking as a uk citizen i think its appauling how much money is put into this kind of past time when people who save lives and care for us eg doctors nurses etc get hardly anything like it .. no wonder the NHS are having problems ! i understand it is all advertising money but at the end of the day if they end up breaking or damaging something who mends it !!?? wouldnt it be better if they gave some of their wages or the clubs put money aside each month for hospitals and schools etc

sorry rant over

Answer 9

I suppose most footballers are thick and their career is over at 30, so it is justified to get so much wages