England’s players will pocket a reported £300 000 (R3,5-million) each if they win the World Cup in Germany next summer.
The payments are outlined in a bonus package the England players agreed in principle with the Football Association (FA) during talks in Manchester that involved senior squad members David Beckham, Gary Neville, Michael Owen and Sol Campbell.
The FA confirmed a framework deal had been agreed but did not publicise the amounts involved, which, if true, would represent a significant increase on the £250 000 per man England were on to win the previous World Cup.
”It was a very constructive meeting, the first on the subject of World Cup issues, including team bonus payments,” an FA spokesperson said. ”We are delighted that agreement has been reached in principle after the first discussions.”
England fans will inevitably question why players who are already financially secure for life would require additional payments for representing their country in the biggest games of their career.
But the players could legitimately argue they are simply ensuring they get a cut of the cash windfall that will come the FA’s way should England lift the game’s biggest prize for the first time in 40 years.
One thing that is undeniable, however, is that financial incentives did not appear to make much difference as England went out of the previous World Cup to a 10-man Brazilian side, or in the penalty shoot-out they lost to Portugal at Euro 2004. — Sapa-AFP