PSV Eindhoven
Isaksson - 5.5
No chance for the opener, but might have done better on Aguero's second, but lacked assurance and command of of the area.
Salcido - 6.5
Made the fewest mistakes among the back four. showed endeavour and some nice touches in attack.
Marcellis - 5
Made too many mistakes and showed poor judgement at times. Should have had a penalty awarded against him, which could have made it four and a thrashing for PSV.
Pieters - 5
Like Marcellus, gave Atletico's lethal forwards far too much space.
Brechet - 4
A night to forget for the Frenchman, who nearly ensured his team were a goal down in the first minute. Turned easily for Aguero's second. Looked vulnerable throughout.
Mendez - 6
Showed some nice touches here and there but, given how influential he is for PSV, needed to get on the ball more.
Simmons - 5
His screening role served little purpose, with far too much space for the Atletico midfield and forwards.
Culina - 5
Like Simmons, largely ineffectual and subbed off at halftime as PSV attempted an unlikely comeback in the second period.
Afellay - 7
Busy all night and showed his quality with great pace, trickery and a stinging shot. Questionable decision making at times, but had the weight of an average PSV on his shoulders.
Amrabat - 7
Probably PSV's best player on the night, he gave Perea problems down the left and looks a good addition to the Phillips Stadion.
Koevermans - 6
Tried his best to lead the line, but looked one-dimensional and missed a couple of good chances.
Subs
Bakkal - 5.5
Showed more than Culina, but failed to make much impact
Lazovic - 6
Immediately gave PSV more presence up front and should have scored one of the chances that fell to him.
Franciso - 5
Not much of an impact when he came on.
Atletico Madrid
Leo Franco - 7
Made some good saves from PSV's long rangers and coming out to close out one-on-ones. Looked largely assured on crosses and high balls too, as he continues in European matches while sitting out the domestic scene for Gregory Coupet.
Perea - 6
Sound enough, and had to work hard to contain Amrabat.
Ufaljusi - 7
Solid as always though with not an awful lot to do, which perhaps contributed to the occasional loss in concentration.
Heitinga - 7
The former Ajax man was probably expecting a rougher night from the PSV fans, but had an easy time of it and was rarely called upon.
Lopez - 6.5
Came in at left back and was worked by Afellay's pace and direct running, but coped reasonably well.
Luis Garcia - 8
Very creative, great link up play and incisive passing around the area, he looked full of confidence.
Maniche - 7.5
Helped dominate the PSV midfield and as usual needed no invitation to get forward. Took his goal well and was fouled in the area before the opener.
Assuncao - 7
Very solid and industrious in the the holding role.
Simao - 7
Gave Atletico plenty of width and quality service.
Aguero - 9
Outstanding performance by Aguero, who oozed quality with every touch, putting PSV to the sword and dicing the defence with ease.
Forlan - 6
Made some useful runs, but didn't see much of the ball and was overshadowed by Aguero. Forced off after half an hour due to injury.
Subs
Sinama-Pongolle - 7.5
Did very well replacing Forlan, showing plenty of pace, intelligence and ability to make it a grim night for PSV.
Raul Garcia - 6
Did fine when it was very comfortable for the visitors, and he should have been given a penalty after a poor challenge by Marcellis.
Banega - 6
Came on to help close out the contest in the last 25 minutes, but by then it was over.
Weary Revs struggle to keep pace
Agüero: I Was Inspired
Player Ratings: Atlético 4-0 Schalke
Versatile Harrington key to K.C. hopes
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Agüero: I Was Inspired
After helping guide Atlético Madrid to a brilliant 3-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven in their opening Champions League match, Sergio Agüero acknowledged that he was in inspired form.
The diminutive Argentine grabbed both the first and the second goals in the Philips Stadion and he admits that he was on top of his game, “I was stepped on in the game against Valladolid but tonight I was feeling amazing. We are very happy with the victory and we played very well.”
Agüero only played the second half at the weekend after returning from international duty but even in the short space of time he had he managed to get himself on the score sheet. Against PSV he was yet again the standout player of the Atlético Madrid side although he preferred to talk about the team’s performance rather than his own.
“We intend to continue with this great form,” he said, “ We were feeling very confident during this game and thanks to that we have been rewarded.”
For PSV it was a hugely disappointing result at home and they must now pick themselves up to face Liverpool at Anfield in two weeks time. Atlético on the other hand will play host to Marseille in Madrid as they look to make it six points from their opening two games.
Agent Rubbishes Forlan To Spurs Rumours
La Liga Preview: Valladolid – Atlético Madrid
Rivals bring out best in Chivas
Ekpo draws pride from Olympic success
The diminutive Argentine grabbed both the first and the second goals in the Philips Stadion and he admits that he was on top of his game, “I was stepped on in the game against Valladolid but tonight I was feeling amazing. We are very happy with the victory and we played very well.”
Agüero only played the second half at the weekend after returning from international duty but even in the short space of time he had he managed to get himself on the score sheet. Against PSV he was yet again the standout player of the Atlético Madrid side although he preferred to talk about the team’s performance rather than his own.
“We intend to continue with this great form,” he said, “ We were feeling very confident during this game and thanks to that we have been rewarded.”
For PSV it was a hugely disappointing result at home and they must now pick themselves up to face Liverpool at Anfield in two weeks time. Atlético on the other hand will play host to Marseille in Madrid as they look to make it six points from their opening two games.
Agent Rubbishes Forlan To Spurs Rumours
La Liga Preview: Valladolid – Atlético Madrid
Rivals bring out best in Chivas
Ekpo draws pride from Olympic success
Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Sporting
BARCELONA
Valdés: 6: Cannot be blamed for the goal as it was clearly a defenders' ball, but had little to do apart from that given Sporting's inability to test him.
Alves: 6.5: Another performance that will no doubt be put down to him adapting to his new surroundings and new system at the club.
Puyol: 7: Called in to play in an unfamiliar position and the Catalan club's captain did what was asked of him patrolling down the left.
Piqué: 8.5: A rock at the back who will only grow stronger. Used his size and strength to good effect and it is easy to see why Barça wanted him back.
Márquez: 7.5: Scored the goal but had a quiet game aprt from that as he maintained the calm at the back and was always available for a pass.
Keita: 7.5: Broke up the play of the Portuguese visitors and pushed forward when he could, but did not stand out.
Xavi: 8.5: An habitually confident display that saw him rarely lose possession or give a stray pass and he capped his performance with a goal
Iniesta: 8: Lively throughout, but was unable to finish a good chance in the second period or truly open up the Sporting defence on various occasions.
Messi: 8.5: The fact that every time the Argentinian touched the ball he took players on and lifted the crowd and the team made him stand out.
Henry: 9: Showed what he could do if he was played through the middle more often and also worked very hard for the team when tracking back.
Eto'o: 7.5: His penalty and the applause were just reward for a very hard-working display from the Cameroonian striker who is not having much luck up front.
Three Forwards On Barcelona Shortlist - Report
Van Der Vaart Wanted Barça
Ekpo, Nigeria win silver in Beijing
Valdés: 6: Cannot be blamed for the goal as it was clearly a defenders' ball, but had little to do apart from that given Sporting's inability to test him.
Alves: 6.5: Another performance that will no doubt be put down to him adapting to his new surroundings and new system at the club.
Puyol: 7: Called in to play in an unfamiliar position and the Catalan club's captain did what was asked of him patrolling down the left.
Piqué: 8.5: A rock at the back who will only grow stronger. Used his size and strength to good effect and it is easy to see why Barça wanted him back.
Márquez: 7.5: Scored the goal but had a quiet game aprt from that as he maintained the calm at the back and was always available for a pass.
Keita: 7.5: Broke up the play of the Portuguese visitors and pushed forward when he could, but did not stand out.
Xavi: 8.5: An habitually confident display that saw him rarely lose possession or give a stray pass and he capped his performance with a goal
Iniesta: 8: Lively throughout, but was unable to finish a good chance in the second period or truly open up the Sporting defence on various occasions.
Messi: 8.5: The fact that every time the Argentinian touched the ball he took players on and lifted the crowd and the team made him stand out.
Henry: 9: Showed what he could do if he was played through the middle more often and also worked very hard for the team when tracking back.
Eto'o: 7.5: His penalty and the applause were just reward for a very hard-working display from the Cameroonian striker who is not having much luck up front.
Three Forwards On Barcelona Shortlist - Report
Van Der Vaart Wanted Barça
Ekpo, Nigeria win silver in Beijing
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Goal.com Poll: Which Country For The CL?
It's probably too early to tell which team is in with the best chance of winning the Champions League, but one could make an educated guess as to which country and league the eventual victors will represent.
Of course, after supplying no fewer than three quarter-finalists last season, England is the favourite. With the multi-billionaire Premier League sending its 'big four' once again this season, few would bet against the English.
Yet if one takes a longer view then they see that Italy have been represented in the final no fewer than 25 times over the course of the tournament's history. Calcio may be said to be on the downswing at the moment, but in fact since 2003 there have been four occurrences of a Serie A team reaching the final, and on two of those AC Milan won the whole thing.
Spain produced absolutely no winners between 1966 and 1992, but Real Madrid and Barcelona have both won the title this century, and thus the Iberian country cannot be discounted.
Nor can its neighbour, Portugal. Porto, after all, were the victors in 2004 against Monaco, who in turn were the first Frence finalists since the heady days of Marseille's 1993 victory.
Other than that, only Germany and the Netherlands have won the title since 1991, when a Yugoslav team did so - Red Star Belgrade.
Clearly, then, it's not all about England. But what do you think? Click here to vote and we'll announce the results on Monday... after the Manchester City versus Chelsea game, of course!
Schelotto continues torrid play in win over Revs
Poll Results: Readers Point Podolski To Roma
Crew pad MLS lead with win over Revs
Of course, after supplying no fewer than three quarter-finalists last season, England is the favourite. With the multi-billionaire Premier League sending its 'big four' once again this season, few would bet against the English.
Yet if one takes a longer view then they see that Italy have been represented in the final no fewer than 25 times over the course of the tournament's history. Calcio may be said to be on the downswing at the moment, but in fact since 2003 there have been four occurrences of a Serie A team reaching the final, and on two of those AC Milan won the whole thing.
Spain produced absolutely no winners between 1966 and 1992, but Real Madrid and Barcelona have both won the title this century, and thus the Iberian country cannot be discounted.
Nor can its neighbour, Portugal. Porto, after all, were the victors in 2004 against Monaco, who in turn were the first Frence finalists since the heady days of Marseille's 1993 victory.
Other than that, only Germany and the Netherlands have won the title since 1991, when a Yugoslav team did so - Red Star Belgrade.
Clearly, then, it's not all about England. But what do you think? Click here to vote and we'll announce the results on Monday... after the Manchester City versus Chelsea game, of course!
Schelotto continues torrid play in win over Revs
Poll Results: Readers Point Podolski To Roma
Crew pad MLS lead with win over Revs
Paper Talk: Why Cristiano Ronaldo Really Is A Slave
The sporting rich list makes for curious reading. With all due respect, a vast majority of people worldwide reading the name Phil Mickelson would think it's a typo. But no, Mickelson - not Nickelson, or Nicholson, for that matter - is a 38-year-old American golfer, and renowned as the second best in the world. Avram Grant finished second in the Champions League, Premier League and Carling Cup in charge of Chelsea last season and got fired, Mickelson is second in the world and earned a staggering $62.3 million between June 2007 and 2008. Fair? Clearly, there's no such thing as a fair way on the fairway in the fast life of a golfer.
Lefty's hefty salary puts him at number two on the rich list of the sporting world and, if the second best golfer is the second highest earner, there are no prizes for guessing who holds the top spot. Arguably the greatest golfer of all time - and he certainly will be by the time he retires - Tiger Woods has for successive years been named the highest earning athlete in the world. The 32-year-old is making over twice as much as Mickelson - $127.9m - and looks set to become the first ever athlete to make over a billion dollars in earnings by 2010.
Role Of The Sponsors
Golf's monopoly on the top spots ends at second, as the 'global game' squeezes its way into the top three - and who other than David Beckham could come to soccer's rescue? Beckham cashed in $48.2m last year - far and away more than any other player - but contrary to popular belief, very little of that money is part of his basic contract. Noticeably past his prime as a player, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star earns approximately $5.3m-a-year from his contract with Los Angeles Galaxy. That may make him the highest earner in Major League Soccer, but there are many in Europe earning double that with their clubs.
Becks gets the majority of his money from Pepsi, Adidas, Police sunglasses, Sharpie permanent markers and whatever else he can get his hands on - and why not? He has even been able to ditch a big-money deal with Gillette and afford the luxury of some designer stubble and tell Brylcreem where to go when he shaved his head way back when.
Speaking of sponsors, there is no shortage of money in Formula One racing, no doubt due to the logos plastered all over each car like a collage gone horribly wrong. Lewis Hamilton's rise to stardom over the past 18 months has seen the money roll in at $27.6m per year, yet he's not quite in the same league as Kimi Räikkönen, with the emerging Finn hot on Beckham's trail with his cool return of $46m, though it could rise as high as $51m depending on his success rate. Fernando Alonso had been earning even more, but abandoned a lucrative contract with McLaren, switching back to Renault and having to settle for $35m, though that figure could rise back up to around $45m. To put matters in perspective, the invincible Michael Schumacher earned as much as both Alonso and Räikkönen put together when in his prime and the sporting world's highest earner, having since retired in 2006.
Thus when we turn our attention back to the golf course we see where the money really comes from. It is estimated that approximately $105m of Tiger Woods' overall earnings came from sponsorship deals. Mickelson, too, earns five times as much from his sponsors than he does on the golf course, by virtue of his every item of clothing being branded by the likes of accounting firm KPMG, Barclays bank and Rolex. We can say he chose his sponsors wisely - but who knew golfers were so marketable? After all, how many people are really watching when compared with other major sports? More than we thought, it seems - or maybe it's that golf viewers remain of the upper class and are in such a high financial bracket that advertisers go the extra monetary mile to attract their attention.
Contracts
But what about contracts? Surely they're the real measure of the athlete? To that end, great interest surrounds who has the biggest contract, or in other words, whose talent is worth the most money. The results are surprising: Beckham and Mickelson are among the lowest earners in the entire 'rich list' of top athletes, yet sponsors shoot them all the way up to third and second respectively. Baseball star Alex Rodriguez has far and away the largest contract in professional sport, earning an unbelievable $29m per year from the New York Yankees.
Behind him is Woods, followed by other top stars in individual sports. Take boxing: 'Pretty Boy' Floyd Mayweather gave Ricky Hatton the runaround on his way to earning $20m in December, remaining unbeaten and picking up another $20.25m in sponsors. Publicity stunts such as his infamous parading around in a Manchester United shirt to anger Manchester City fan Hatton have done wonders for the undefeated phenom's image worldwide, though his earnings may well have now peaked, as he officially announced his retirement in June this year.
Then there is Roger Federer - very much the Tiger Woods of tennis - who isn't far off the pace either. Total earnings of $35m make the Swiss machine far and away the highest earner on the court, despite his drop in earnings due to losing top spot in the world rankings to Rafael Nadal this year. Maria Sharapova, with $21.75m, is the only woman to make the list, though young golfer Michelle Wie may soon have something to say about that. Sharapova's winnings are the lowest on the entire list, but she earns almost 20 times as much through sponsors, showing the potential marketability of women in the sporting world.
The Rich List
Rank
Athlete (Sport)
Salary
Sponsors
Total
01
Tiger Woods (Golf)
$22.9m
$105m
$127.9m
02
Phil Mickelson (Golf)
$9.3m
$53m
$62.3m
03
David Beckham (Soccer)
$5.3m
$42.9
$48.2m
04
Kimi Räikkönen (Formula One)
n/a
n/a
$46m
05
LeBron James (Basketball)
$12.5m
$28m
$40.5m
06
Floyd Mayweather (Boxing)
$20m
$20.25m
$40.25m
07
Lionel Messi (Soccer)
$12.5m
$23.3m
$35.8m
08
Kobe Bryant (Basketball)
$19.5m
$16m
$35.5m
09
Roger Federer (Tennis)
$10.1m
$25m
$35.1m
10
Fernando Alonso (Formula One)
n/a
n/a
$35m
11
Alex Rodriguez (Baseball)
$29m
$6m
$35m
12
Shaquille O'Neal (Basketball)
$20m
$15m
$35m
13
Ronaldinho (Soccer)
$7.5m
$27.5m
$35m
14
Valentino Rossi (Moto GP)
$6m
$28m
$34m
15
Kevin Garnett (Basketball)
$22m
$9m
$31m
16
Peyton Manning (Football)
$17.5m
$13m
$30.5m
17
Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer)
$11.4m
$18.9m
$30.3m
18
Derek Jeter (Baseball)
$22m
$8m
$30m
19
Ichiro Suzuki (Baseball)
$17m
$10.6m
$27.6m
20
Lewis Hamilton (Formula One)
n/a
n/a
$27.6m
21
Thierry Henry (Soccer)
$11.4m
$14.7m
$26.1m
22
Maria Sharapova (Tennis)
$1.9m
$18.85m
$21.75m
23
John Terry (Soccer)
$12.1m
$9.5m
$21.6m
24
Michael Ballack (Soccer)
$11.6m
$9.9m
$21.5m
25
Kaka (Soccer)
$13.4m
$6.7m
$20.1m
Not all top earners are included; many athletes - mostly basketballers - earning between $20-30m have been omitted so that the list did not get too long. Also note that no salaries or winnings figures are 100% accurate as they ultimately remain confidential.
Land Of The Free (And Rich)
The $30 million and above club is dominated almost entirely by American sports - basketball by far the richest, then baseball and to a lesser extent, football - it's only from then on that soccer's familiar faces enter the fray. Beckham aside, Ronaldinho also cracks Team America's stranglehold on the financial world of sport. Despite taking a pay cut to join Milan, the Gaucho is still thought to earn almost $35m annually, of which at least $27.5m comes through sponsors. The bucktoothed wonder may have temporarily lost his smile, form and fitness, but the money keeps rolling on in regardless by virtue of those years that he was quite simply playing like one of the greatest of all time.
His former Barcelona team-mate, Lionel Messi, is another who has hit the big time. Very much Ronaldinho's successor for the Blaugrana, the unstoppable Argentine's humble nature, garden gnome facial expression and two-dollar haircut might fool you into believing he didn't smash his way past $30m last year, but apparently, he did.
Naturally, we could only go so far without mentioning the undisputed centre of attention in the beautiful game, the most maligned of the moment, in Cristiano Ronaldo. C-Ron earned just over $30m last year, and Uncle Alex will no doubt be lining some Portuguese pockets with a little extra after the 23-year-old chose to stay at Old Trafford this summer, turning down his dream move to Real Madrid following a confidential heart-to-heart with the wily old Scot in July. In due time he is sure to soar all the way up this list, but for now, he surprisingly finds himself in a comparitively modest position on the rich list. Maybe Sepp Blatter was right all along, the multi-millionaire must really be a slave after all.
But let's forget the Messi and Ronaldo hype for a minute: what about the man who was voted as and officially remains World and European Player of the Year? Never fear, Milanello, as Kaka is in fact in possession of the most lucrative contract, worth almost $13.5m per year.
Ignoring the fact that A-Rod earns over twice as much in basic wage alone, let's remain focused on the positives: Kaka edges Lionel Messi in the contract stakes, despite his club being notoriously short of cash at the minute - so much so that they're still trying to convince themselves that Philippe Senderos isn't Arsenal's worst defender, Andriy Shevchenko isn't past it and Giuseppe Favalli didn't lose whatever little talent he had 750 years ago. Surprisingly, Kaka only picks up about $6.7m in sponsorship deals. The picture of professionalism, the Brazilian wouldn't look out of place on a golf course himself - it's a miracle he's not making more. Behind Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo is the next most marketable footballer - last year netting $18.9m in addition to the $11.4m from his contract - and his stock is bound to continue rising.
Another Barça player - the third of the erstwhile Fantastic Four - is the next highest earner in the game. Thierry Henry, who established himself as one of the best players in the world during his days with Arsenal, has contractual parity with Cristiano Ronaldo since signing for Barcelona. However, despite a lucrative deal he, Federer and Woods have with Gillette as well as his va-va-voom franchise with Renault, France's all-time leading scorer's sponsorship earnings aren't in the same league as either of them, at 'just' $14.7m. Poor Samuel Eto'o: no wonder he was so full of outrageous wage demands this summer - he was just trying to break even with his buddies.
The last of the money men are what can only be described as Roman Abramovich's boys - the Chelsea lot. John Terry and Michael Ballack earn $21.6m and $21.5m respectively, Frank Lampard is on the same $12.1m wage as Terry - a fraction more than Ballack for ego's sake and little more - while Didier Drogba is making $10.5m as well. We can't forget Andriy Shevchenko, who cost the Blues $60m and is still earning $11.1m a year, though on loan at Milan and no doubt in line for one hell of a pay cut if the move is made permanent as expected. What he and others such as Ronaldinho and Henry demonstrate is that often the most money will fall at the feet of athletes once they have already peaked - it's all downhill from there - yet they continue to make the most money off the back of former glories while the new school are making history in the now. Who might we see on this list in two or three years' time?
If Emmanuel Adebayor had his way, he'd probably be top of the pile now and forever, because he's just that damn good. However, as it stands, it is of little surprise that none of the Wenger boys made the cut, while Liverpool's Steven Gerrard is close but doesn't quite break $20m a year. Manchester United's top earner is thought to be Wayne Rooney, while Real Madrid super-stopper Iker Casillas, Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Internazionale and Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero are all close by as well.
At the end of the day, all of our leading stars in the world's most popular sport must resign themselves to the fact that basketball is twice as lucrative though half as popular, the fattest contract goes to a man who plays a sport which even a large percentage of Americans admit is boring, and the biggest sponsorship deals and overall earnings to two guys who star in a sport that athletes, doctors and your father tend to play during their time off. We could all be rich...
Philly fans get MLS soccer fix in D.C.
Goal.com Poll: The ‘Slavery’ Stupidity - Top Four
Robinho Is Staying For Sure - Report
Lefty's hefty salary puts him at number two on the rich list of the sporting world and, if the second best golfer is the second highest earner, there are no prizes for guessing who holds the top spot. Arguably the greatest golfer of all time - and he certainly will be by the time he retires - Tiger Woods has for successive years been named the highest earning athlete in the world. The 32-year-old is making over twice as much as Mickelson - $127.9m - and looks set to become the first ever athlete to make over a billion dollars in earnings by 2010.
Role Of The Sponsors
Golf's monopoly on the top spots ends at second, as the 'global game' squeezes its way into the top three - and who other than David Beckham could come to soccer's rescue? Beckham cashed in $48.2m last year - far and away more than any other player - but contrary to popular belief, very little of that money is part of his basic contract. Noticeably past his prime as a player, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star earns approximately $5.3m-a-year from his contract with Los Angeles Galaxy. That may make him the highest earner in Major League Soccer, but there are many in Europe earning double that with their clubs.
Becks gets the majority of his money from Pepsi, Adidas, Police sunglasses, Sharpie permanent markers and whatever else he can get his hands on - and why not? He has even been able to ditch a big-money deal with Gillette and afford the luxury of some designer stubble and tell Brylcreem where to go when he shaved his head way back when.
Speaking of sponsors, there is no shortage of money in Formula One racing, no doubt due to the logos plastered all over each car like a collage gone horribly wrong. Lewis Hamilton's rise to stardom over the past 18 months has seen the money roll in at $27.6m per year, yet he's not quite in the same league as Kimi Räikkönen, with the emerging Finn hot on Beckham's trail with his cool return of $46m, though it could rise as high as $51m depending on his success rate. Fernando Alonso had been earning even more, but abandoned a lucrative contract with McLaren, switching back to Renault and having to settle for $35m, though that figure could rise back up to around $45m. To put matters in perspective, the invincible Michael Schumacher earned as much as both Alonso and Räikkönen put together when in his prime and the sporting world's highest earner, having since retired in 2006.
Thus when we turn our attention back to the golf course we see where the money really comes from. It is estimated that approximately $105m of Tiger Woods' overall earnings came from sponsorship deals. Mickelson, too, earns five times as much from his sponsors than he does on the golf course, by virtue of his every item of clothing being branded by the likes of accounting firm KPMG, Barclays bank and Rolex. We can say he chose his sponsors wisely - but who knew golfers were so marketable? After all, how many people are really watching when compared with other major sports? More than we thought, it seems - or maybe it's that golf viewers remain of the upper class and are in such a high financial bracket that advertisers go the extra monetary mile to attract their attention.
Contracts
But what about contracts? Surely they're the real measure of the athlete? To that end, great interest surrounds who has the biggest contract, or in other words, whose talent is worth the most money. The results are surprising: Beckham and Mickelson are among the lowest earners in the entire 'rich list' of top athletes, yet sponsors shoot them all the way up to third and second respectively. Baseball star Alex Rodriguez has far and away the largest contract in professional sport, earning an unbelievable $29m per year from the New York Yankees.
Behind him is Woods, followed by other top stars in individual sports. Take boxing: 'Pretty Boy' Floyd Mayweather gave Ricky Hatton the runaround on his way to earning $20m in December, remaining unbeaten and picking up another $20.25m in sponsors. Publicity stunts such as his infamous parading around in a Manchester United shirt to anger Manchester City fan Hatton have done wonders for the undefeated phenom's image worldwide, though his earnings may well have now peaked, as he officially announced his retirement in June this year.
Then there is Roger Federer - very much the Tiger Woods of tennis - who isn't far off the pace either. Total earnings of $35m make the Swiss machine far and away the highest earner on the court, despite his drop in earnings due to losing top spot in the world rankings to Rafael Nadal this year. Maria Sharapova, with $21.75m, is the only woman to make the list, though young golfer Michelle Wie may soon have something to say about that. Sharapova's winnings are the lowest on the entire list, but she earns almost 20 times as much through sponsors, showing the potential marketability of women in the sporting world.
The Rich List
Rank
Athlete (Sport)
Salary
Sponsors
Total
01
Tiger Woods (Golf)
$22.9m
$105m
$127.9m
02
Phil Mickelson (Golf)
$9.3m
$53m
$62.3m
03
David Beckham (Soccer)
$5.3m
$42.9
$48.2m
04
Kimi Räikkönen (Formula One)
n/a
n/a
$46m
05
LeBron James (Basketball)
$12.5m
$28m
$40.5m
06
Floyd Mayweather (Boxing)
$20m
$20.25m
$40.25m
07
Lionel Messi (Soccer)
$12.5m
$23.3m
$35.8m
08
Kobe Bryant (Basketball)
$19.5m
$16m
$35.5m
09
Roger Federer (Tennis)
$10.1m
$25m
$35.1m
10
Fernando Alonso (Formula One)
n/a
n/a
$35m
11
Alex Rodriguez (Baseball)
$29m
$6m
$35m
12
Shaquille O'Neal (Basketball)
$20m
$15m
$35m
13
Ronaldinho (Soccer)
$7.5m
$27.5m
$35m
14
Valentino Rossi (Moto GP)
$6m
$28m
$34m
15
Kevin Garnett (Basketball)
$22m
$9m
$31m
16
Peyton Manning (Football)
$17.5m
$13m
$30.5m
17
Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer)
$11.4m
$18.9m
$30.3m
18
Derek Jeter (Baseball)
$22m
$8m
$30m
19
Ichiro Suzuki (Baseball)
$17m
$10.6m
$27.6m
20
Lewis Hamilton (Formula One)
n/a
n/a
$27.6m
21
Thierry Henry (Soccer)
$11.4m
$14.7m
$26.1m
22
Maria Sharapova (Tennis)
$1.9m
$18.85m
$21.75m
23
John Terry (Soccer)
$12.1m
$9.5m
$21.6m
24
Michael Ballack (Soccer)
$11.6m
$9.9m
$21.5m
25
Kaka (Soccer)
$13.4m
$6.7m
$20.1m
Not all top earners are included; many athletes - mostly basketballers - earning between $20-30m have been omitted so that the list did not get too long. Also note that no salaries or winnings figures are 100% accurate as they ultimately remain confidential.
Land Of The Free (And Rich)
The $30 million and above club is dominated almost entirely by American sports - basketball by far the richest, then baseball and to a lesser extent, football - it's only from then on that soccer's familiar faces enter the fray. Beckham aside, Ronaldinho also cracks Team America's stranglehold on the financial world of sport. Despite taking a pay cut to join Milan, the Gaucho is still thought to earn almost $35m annually, of which at least $27.5m comes through sponsors. The bucktoothed wonder may have temporarily lost his smile, form and fitness, but the money keeps rolling on in regardless by virtue of those years that he was quite simply playing like one of the greatest of all time.
His former Barcelona team-mate, Lionel Messi, is another who has hit the big time. Very much Ronaldinho's successor for the Blaugrana, the unstoppable Argentine's humble nature, garden gnome facial expression and two-dollar haircut might fool you into believing he didn't smash his way past $30m last year, but apparently, he did.
Naturally, we could only go so far without mentioning the undisputed centre of attention in the beautiful game, the most maligned of the moment, in Cristiano Ronaldo. C-Ron earned just over $30m last year, and Uncle Alex will no doubt be lining some Portuguese pockets with a little extra after the 23-year-old chose to stay at Old Trafford this summer, turning down his dream move to Real Madrid following a confidential heart-to-heart with the wily old Scot in July. In due time he is sure to soar all the way up this list, but for now, he surprisingly finds himself in a comparitively modest position on the rich list. Maybe Sepp Blatter was right all along, the multi-millionaire must really be a slave after all.
But let's forget the Messi and Ronaldo hype for a minute: what about the man who was voted as and officially remains World and European Player of the Year? Never fear, Milanello, as Kaka is in fact in possession of the most lucrative contract, worth almost $13.5m per year.
Ignoring the fact that A-Rod earns over twice as much in basic wage alone, let's remain focused on the positives: Kaka edges Lionel Messi in the contract stakes, despite his club being notoriously short of cash at the minute - so much so that they're still trying to convince themselves that Philippe Senderos isn't Arsenal's worst defender, Andriy Shevchenko isn't past it and Giuseppe Favalli didn't lose whatever little talent he had 750 years ago. Surprisingly, Kaka only picks up about $6.7m in sponsorship deals. The picture of professionalism, the Brazilian wouldn't look out of place on a golf course himself - it's a miracle he's not making more. Behind Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo is the next most marketable footballer - last year netting $18.9m in addition to the $11.4m from his contract - and his stock is bound to continue rising.
Another Barça player - the third of the erstwhile Fantastic Four - is the next highest earner in the game. Thierry Henry, who established himself as one of the best players in the world during his days with Arsenal, has contractual parity with Cristiano Ronaldo since signing for Barcelona. However, despite a lucrative deal he, Federer and Woods have with Gillette as well as his va-va-voom franchise with Renault, France's all-time leading scorer's sponsorship earnings aren't in the same league as either of them, at 'just' $14.7m. Poor Samuel Eto'o: no wonder he was so full of outrageous wage demands this summer - he was just trying to break even with his buddies.
The last of the money men are what can only be described as Roman Abramovich's boys - the Chelsea lot. John Terry and Michael Ballack earn $21.6m and $21.5m respectively, Frank Lampard is on the same $12.1m wage as Terry - a fraction more than Ballack for ego's sake and little more - while Didier Drogba is making $10.5m as well. We can't forget Andriy Shevchenko, who cost the Blues $60m and is still earning $11.1m a year, though on loan at Milan and no doubt in line for one hell of a pay cut if the move is made permanent as expected. What he and others such as Ronaldinho and Henry demonstrate is that often the most money will fall at the feet of athletes once they have already peaked - it's all downhill from there - yet they continue to make the most money off the back of former glories while the new school are making history in the now. Who might we see on this list in two or three years' time?
If Emmanuel Adebayor had his way, he'd probably be top of the pile now and forever, because he's just that damn good. However, as it stands, it is of little surprise that none of the Wenger boys made the cut, while Liverpool's Steven Gerrard is close but doesn't quite break $20m a year. Manchester United's top earner is thought to be Wayne Rooney, while Real Madrid super-stopper Iker Casillas, Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Internazionale and Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero are all close by as well.
At the end of the day, all of our leading stars in the world's most popular sport must resign themselves to the fact that basketball is twice as lucrative though half as popular, the fattest contract goes to a man who plays a sport which even a large percentage of Americans admit is boring, and the biggest sponsorship deals and overall earnings to two guys who star in a sport that athletes, doctors and your father tend to play during their time off. We could all be rich...
Philly fans get MLS soccer fix in D.C.
Goal.com Poll: The ‘Slavery’ Stupidity - Top Four
Robinho Is Staying For Sure - Report
Bhoys Playing Like Barça - Crosas
Celtic midfielder Marc Crosas slotted into the Celtic midfield for Saturday's must-win visit to Motherwell's Fir Park.
Both the Hoops and the 'Well had made underwhelming starts to their domestic campaigns and were in desperate need of not just a win, but also a convincing performance with Euro action looming for both sides.
It was Celtic, 4-0 to the good at half-time, who finally went through the gears and went some way towards erasing the pain of a 4-2 Old Firm hammering, eventually beating the off-colour Steelmen by the same scoreline.
The Bhoys played some tantalising football at times, not least during the free-flowing, one-touch build-up that led to the fourth goal. Now, former Barca kid Crosas has insisted that the resurgent Glasgow giants played like his boyhood heroes.
He explained: "Some people in Spain felt I had made a mistake when I came to Scotland to play for Celtic.
"They didn't rate the level of football, but I think they are wrong. We have very strong side that is very much together and can play many styles of football.
"We can pass the ball to feet and score some great goals. We can get physical, play it down the flanks or, when needed, we can play a long ball. To me, that is the mark of a top quality side.
"On our day we can be exciting to watch and Barcelona would have been happy to play the way we did at Motherwell."
Eagerly anticipating his new side's impending Champions League adventure, he continued: "I was in Paris two years ago to watch Barca lift the trophy. I was playing for the Barcelona second team at the time, so I went as a fan - wearing my scarf and singing the songs.
"But nothing could compare to playing for Celtic at this level. If I get the chance on Wednesday I will be very proud and excited to play."
Shea settles into new position
Davino injury puts Moor in spotlight
Mayor Not Impressed By Barça
Both the Hoops and the 'Well had made underwhelming starts to their domestic campaigns and were in desperate need of not just a win, but also a convincing performance with Euro action looming for both sides.
It was Celtic, 4-0 to the good at half-time, who finally went through the gears and went some way towards erasing the pain of a 4-2 Old Firm hammering, eventually beating the off-colour Steelmen by the same scoreline.
The Bhoys played some tantalising football at times, not least during the free-flowing, one-touch build-up that led to the fourth goal. Now, former Barca kid Crosas has insisted that the resurgent Glasgow giants played like his boyhood heroes.
He explained: "Some people in Spain felt I had made a mistake when I came to Scotland to play for Celtic.
"They didn't rate the level of football, but I think they are wrong. We have very strong side that is very much together and can play many styles of football.
"We can pass the ball to feet and score some great goals. We can get physical, play it down the flanks or, when needed, we can play a long ball. To me, that is the mark of a top quality side.
"On our day we can be exciting to watch and Barcelona would have been happy to play the way we did at Motherwell."
Eagerly anticipating his new side's impending Champions League adventure, he continued: "I was in Paris two years ago to watch Barca lift the trophy. I was playing for the Barcelona second team at the time, so I went as a fan - wearing my scarf and singing the songs.
"But nothing could compare to playing for Celtic at this level. If I get the chance on Wednesday I will be very proud and excited to play."
Shea settles into new position
Davino injury puts Moor in spotlight
Mayor Not Impressed By Barça
Monday, September 15, 2008
Poll Results: Robinho Made The Wrong Choice
Brazilian superstar Robinho may have opened his Manchester City account with a goal just 13 minutes into his debut for the citizens, but his side still lost out 3-1 to Chelsea - the team that he earlier wished to join.
Goal.com readers took the whole weekend to vote on whether or not Robinho made the correct choice in heading to Eastlands after his Chelsea move failed to materialise, with a significant majority saying that he did not.
First of all, just 29% felt that he made the right move. As Shazz from Singapore said in the comments arena:
Goal.com readers took the whole weekend to vote on whether or not Robinho made the correct choice in heading to Eastlands after his Chelsea move failed to materialise, with a significant majority saying that he did not.
First of all, just 29% felt that he made the right move. As Shazz from Singapore said in the comments arena:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
