Zidane Nets �8m-A-Year As World's Top Earner
Monday 30th April 2001
Juventus midfielder Zinedine Zidane has been revealed as the highest-paid footballer in the world in a France Football survey. The top three earners all play in Serie A, while nobody in the top nine is based outside Italy or Spain.
According to the report, Zidane makes �3 million a year in wages, �600,000 in bonuses and �4.5 million in other revenues, including sponsorship deals with adidas and Ford, to reap �8.1 million a year.
Next in the list is Roma forward Gabriel Batistuta who makes �6 million, then Internazionale striker Ronaldo with �5.2 million.
Raul is the highest-paid Spain-based player, on �5.1 million, but the first English-based player is Manchester United midfielder David Beckham, tenth in the list, on �2.4 million. That, though, is expected to rise significantly when he signs a new contract.
Nevertheless, he would do well to note that Real Madrid's Steve McManaman, although 14th in the overall listing, eclipses him in terms of salary. Where Beckham takes home �1.2 million, McManaman gets �3.1 million.
Three other United players - Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Fabien Barthez - are also in the top 20, which gives the English champions the highest number of representatives in the elite group.
An apparent anomaly in the top ten is Roma's Japanese star Hidetoshi Nakata, who is not even guaranteed a regular first team place, but nevertheless makes a staggering �3 million in sponsorship, thanks to deals with Canon, Mastercard and Nike.
In total, of the top 20, ten are based in Italy, four in Spain and four in England, with Schalke 04 midfielder Andreas Moller occupying 16th spot, and Paris Saint-Germain striker Nicolas Anelka 20th.
Top 20: Zinedine Zidane (Juventus), Gabriel Batistuta (Roma) , Ronaldo (Inter), Raul (Real Madrid), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Rivaldo (Barcelona), Christian Vieri (Inter), Hidetoshi Nakata (Roma), Luis Figo (Real Madrid), David Beckham (Manchester United), Roy Keane (Manchester United), Hernan Crespo (Lazio), Fabien Barthez (Manchester United), Steve McManaman (Real Madrid), Juan Sebastian Veron (Lazio), Andreas Moller (Schalke 04), Paolo Maldini (AC Milan), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Francesco Totti (Roma), Nicolas Anelka (Paris Saint-Germain)
