Manchester City coach Sven Goran Eriksson stated that it is normal for footballers to earn so much money and that they should be regarded as “artists”.
Eriksson’s statement is a reaction to the comment made by the British sports minister who on Thursday called John Terry’s salary, the highest-paid English footballer at €186,900 (approximately 1.98 million kuna), “obscene”.
“This question has been repeated for 25 years. Today, footballers should be viewed as artists, who have the ability to touch people with their performances,” said the former England manager who was then earning €7.18 million annually (approximately 52.85 million kuna).
“It is normal for footballers to earn this much. Football is the number one sport in the world and footballers’ careers often end at 35 years of age,” he added.
The average salary of players in the English Premier League is €18,690 per week (approximately 198,000 kuna). (H, I. Š.)
