Football Contracts for DUMMIES

[BrooklynRed]

OK, I am not new to the game, but I have a question for which I have never found a definitive answer:

When a player signs a new contract and he is on £100,000 a week, for how many weeks is that contract valid? 52? Just the season? Season plus pre-season training? International breaks?

I am curious because I am trying to compare salaries of players in football with other sports in the USA, where contracts are on a year-long basis (aka $20,000,000 a year, etc.)... and I don't know why wages are expressed on a per-week basis vs an annual basis in football contracts.

Any definitive help is apprecaited.

[TheStig]

It's on a per week basis for x number of years, usually (so that would be for the whole year).

I'm not a footballer, football agent or club CEO though, so that is guesswork .

[Red Chilli]

It's on a per week basis for x number of years, usually (so that would be for the whole year).

I'm not a footballer, football agent or club CEO though, so that is guesswork .

You are correct, 52 weeks per year

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Yeah for some reason footballers are paid for the closed season. Its crazy when you think about it but thats just the way the game is i suppose

[Red Chilli]

They still have to keep themselves fit during the off season and do interviews and other club commitments. OK, they're not playing footy, but they're doing other stuff.

FFS, take the pre-season as a given and they have something like 4-5 weeks off? Most people get 4 weeks paid holiday a year

[TheStig]

Yeah for some reason footballers are paid for the closed season. Its crazy when you think about it but thats just the way the game is i suppose

Not really, when you think about how a contract works. They are contracted for 4 or 5 years usually, and so are paid every week (or month) of that contracted period, with a certain amount of time for holiday.

[BrooklynRed]

Thanks for the answers... so, if it is 52 weeks per year, has there been a case where a player has signed an escalating contract? for example

£30,000 a week in year one
£50,000 a week in year two
£70,000 a week in year three

or incentives which trigger re-negotiations? (i.e. "If player X scores 20+ goals in a season, they earn an extra £500,000", or "If they scored 20+ goals, this contract is open to renegotiation for the following season, etc")

[Red Chilli]

Thanks for the answers... so, if it is 52 weeks per year, has there been a case where a player has signed an escalating contract? for example

£30,000 a week in year one
£50,000 a week in year two
£70,000 a week in year three

or incentives which trigger re-negotiations? (i.e. "If player X scores 20+ goals in a season, they earn an extra £500,000", or "If they scored 20+ goals, this contract is open to renegotiation for the following season, etc")

Never heard of the escalating contract.

Bonuses are definitely pre-written.

Re-negotiations aren't pre-written because players hold all the power these days and if they think they deserve a better salary, they just tap the agent on the shoulder

[BrooklynRed]

Thanks. I come from the land of the Salary Cap and back-loaded contracts, so this is very simple to understand... Much appreciated.

[Rich]

I think Rooney's United Contract /iswas escalating


Plus you get little bizarre ones where it's written into his contract that he'll be on the most money at the club...

[Joe King]

Torres's contract has now been escalated from a reported £85-90k to £110k. All depends on the performance of the player.

[Jaymo]

the escalating contract is a yearly wage rise of say 20%

so if player X starts on £50,000 per week
in year two he will be on £60,000 per week
in year three he will be on £72,000 per week

and so on?

[DannyMan2006]

the escalating contract is a yearly wage rise of say 20%

so if player X starts on £50,000 per week
in year two he will be on £60,000 per week
in year three he will be on £72,000 per week

and so on?

You boys not play FM2008?

It may be a game but it is based on real life - to a small extent anyhow!

Of course escualting contracts exist. % increases as explained above also exist.

[PLY]

I think most new players we sign are on escalting contracts -Xabi defo is because I'm pretty sure that he started on about £30k a week