Archive | April 20, 2016

The nine highest paid footballers in the world….

France Football magazine ranked the sport’s highest earners, and the amount of money in play might make your eyes water. The football rich list is collated by adding club salaries, endorsement deals, and performance bonuses. Europe cemented its position as the home of big-money soccer — all the clubs featured are on the continent, while all but two of the players are European. Despite the Premier League being the most watched in the world, English football clubs did not take part in the survey. France Football notes that Manchester United player Wayne Rooney would have been ninth if they had.

1. Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, 28)

1. Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, 28)

Annual Salary: €36m (£28.7m; $40.6m)

Performance Bonus: €3m (£2.4m; $3.4m)

Other Income: €35m (£27.9m; $39m)

The best footballer in the world (according to FIFA’s Player of the Year award) is also the best paid. This marks the first time a footballer has ever had an income of over €70 million, and with Messi’s contracts with sports-related giants like Adidas and EA Games it’s perhaps no surprise the Argentine player is rolling in money.

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The 13 highest-paid football managers in the world….

Here are the football’s highest-paid managers for the 2015-2016 season as announced by sports magazine Football France. The figures, cited by City AM, show that the game’s top managers can compete with their superstar players when it comes to massive salaries. Four of the top 13 managers are currently without a job, but made money from generous compensation packages or owed salaries.

1. Jose Mourinho — unattached

1. Jose Mourinho — unattached

2015-2016 Income: €24 million (£19 million; $27 million)

The best-paid manager in football is one who was sacked earlier in the season. Chelsea dumped Mourinho after a bad start to the season, and rumours of where he’ll go next continue to be one of the biggest talking points in football. In the meantime, continued pay by Chelsea and endorsement deals with Adidas, Hublot, and Alibaba have kept his bank account full.

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The 19 richest football clubs in the world….

The biggest money-making football clubs of the 2014/15 season have been ranked by accountancy firm Deloitte in their annual Football Money League report. Europe continues to dominate, with all the teams on the list from that continent. Within Europe, the Premier League punches above its weight, with UK clubs making up 8 of the top 19. Much of this is thanks to the enduring appeal of the English Premiership, which is still the most-watched league in the world. Elsewhere on the list, Italy has four placings, while Spain and Germany have three. France has to settle for one. Deloitte says that exchange rates help explain the large English showing, and adds that with a new financing structure for the Premier League coming into effect next season — which will see clubs share around £5 billion in TV revenues — English clubs could get even richer:

1. Real Madrid (Spain)

1. Real Madrid (Spain)

2014/15 Revenue: €577 million

(£456 million; $657 million)

The biggest money making team of last season was voted by FIFA as the European club of the 20th century, and its fortunes are only getting better this millennium. Real Madrid has some of the world’s most expensive players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, but its revenue to wage ratio is in good health thanks to high ticket, shirt, and TV rights sales. Expect it to be number one for many years to come.

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Soccer Aid: Mourinho to manage England….

Jose Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri

Jose Mourinho will manage England against Claudio Ranieri’s Rest of the World side for this summer’s Soccer Aid match at Old Trafford. Two teams of celebrities will meet on 5 June to raise money for UNICEF. Mourinho will be assisted by Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce, with Soccer Aid co-founder Robbie Williams as coach. “I want to be the first one to win the Soccer Aid trophy for both teams,” said the Portuguese, who coached Rest of the World to a 4-2 win in 2014. “Sam and I will make a very good partnership and it will be a great feeling for Claudio to finally lose a match.” Ranieri, manager of Premier League leaders Leicester City, added: “It is a great honour that Robbie Williams has asked me to manage the Rest of the World XI and I’m looking forward to helping them defend their title.”

Norwich and Sunderland charged by FA….

Norwich and Sunderland players and staff clash

Norwich City and Sunderland have been charged by the Football Association for failing to control their players and staff during Saturday’s Premier League match. Players and staff from both sides clashed on the touchline early in the lunchtime kick-off at Carrow Road. Both clubs have until 6pm on 21 April to respond to the charge, the FA said in a statement. Sunderland won the game 3-0 to boost their relegation survival hopes. They remain 18th in the division but are now just a point behind the Canaries with a game in hand. Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce was heavily involved in Saturday’s incident, which came after Norwich winger Robbie Brady’s challenge sent Sunderland defender DeAndre Yedlin head first into the advertising hoardings. After the match, Allardyce said: “I got a bit carried away, but the Norwich players were encroaching my box – I was always going to protect my players and my mob.”

PSG book a place in French Cup final….

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 43rd goal of the season as Paris St-Germain booked a place in the French Cup final and kept up their bid for a back-to-back domestic treble. Ibrahimovic collected a pass from Angel di Maria, shrugged off two defenders and scored from the edge of the area. PSG will now play either Sochaux or Marseille in the final. Laurent Blanc’s side are already Ligue 1 champions and play Lille in the League Cup final this weekend. Last season they won the league by eight points, thrashed Bastia 4-0 to win the League Cup and beat Auxerre in the Cup final to seal the clean sweep.

Bayern Munich reach German Cup final….

Thomas Mueller

Bayern Munich remain on course for a treble after beating Werder Bremen to reach the German Cup final. Thomas Mueller scored both goals with the first a header after Clemens Fritz slipped in the box. His second came from a penalty after Arturo Vidal went to ground without appearing to be touched when tackled by Janek Sternberg. Bayern are top of the Bundesliga and play Atletico Madrdid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side will play Hertha Berlin or Borussia Dortmund, who play on Wednesday, on 21 May in the final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

Blessing Eleke begged for coach to stay….

Marko Nikolic

Olimpija Ljubljana’s Blessing Eleke says he “begged” club president Milan Mandaric not to sack the coach who referred to him as a “black idiot”. Marko Nikolic, 36, agreed to leave the Slovenian leaders after he was caught on video criticising Nigerian Eleke. The club initially refused to suspend the Serb, but the Slovenian FA banned him for seven games for “clear racism”. “He doesn’t mean what he said. He just said it because he was angry,” Eleke told BBC World Service. “I’m very angry and I’m very sad. He’s a family man and it’s because of me that my coach lost his job. People talk about if he is a racist but I don’t think he is like that. “I have begged and I have done everything but it is the way my president wants it, so I can do nothing.” Olimpija, who are two points clear in the Slovenian top flight, appointed Nikolic earlier this year after he was sacked by Partizan Belgrade in his homeland in 2015. They drew 1-1 against Zavrc on 10 April thanks to Eleke’s first home goal for the club following his January move from league rivals Gorica. Nikolic said his comment about Eleke was “an emotional reaction” as the 20-year-old’s celebration meant there was less time for a winner, adding that he “never intended to offend the player racially”.