Soccer has come a long way in the last twenty years. There was a time when players reminded us of the fact that professional soccer was a short career lasting only around 10 to 15 years and less than that for some players. Clubs would sometimes help out their old players by granting a testimonial match with attendance revenue being given to the player in question.
In those days, it was hard not to feel some sympathy for players who had fallen on hard times for a variety of reasons. But today professional soccer player salaries are astronomical and continue to rise. Many players are now earning more in a week than the fans who pay to watch them earn in a year. This sometimes leads to an uneasy relationship between the players and the fans that are ultimately funding these salaries. If the fans think a particular player is not trying hard enough, they will voice their opinions vociferously.
The top earners have now broken the six figure barrier pocketing over £100,000 per week which is an extraordinary amount of money for anyone to earn in a 7 day period. This has led to calls for the introduction of a salary cap to try slowing down the spiralling cost of player wages which critics claim is out of control.
The argument against introducing a salary cap is that it may prove to be illegal under the current European law. Another way to curb spending would be limiting the number of foreign players each club is able to field at any one time although there is a case both for and against this kind of measure.
The problem with a constant increase in salaries is that a climate of competition is created with players on the lower end of the scale wanting their contract to be brought more into line with their team mates. Money talks and this can also dictate transfer activity with players often choosing one club over another for financial reasons rather than football ones.
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