Top players worth colossal salaries, insists Eto`o (12.08.2007)
Barcelona star Samuel Eto`o runs during a training session in Barcelona, February 2007. Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto`o has insisted that Europe`s highest profile players are worth every penny of their colossal salaries.
Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto`o on Friday insisted that Europe`s highest profile players are worth every penny of their colossal salaries.
The Cameroon international, who has been a target of clubs around Europe this summer following the arrival of fellow striker Thierry Henry at the Nou Camp from Arsenal, believes that salary capping could ruin the game.
While Eto`o admits that the money divide between the big and small clubs can cause problems, the introduction of a wage limit would not be fair for those players who are a commercial success, he said.
"If you are able to generate a lot of money for your club, I think you are in a position to earn a share of that," Eto`o told
www.feelfootball.com`s `What Fans Feel` survey.
"Not every football player earns the same as the best players in the world, but teams should pay accordingly to the popularity and performance of each player.
"If you think football wages are high, you should also question whether the wages paid in the NBA are not too high too.
"We need every little help to ensure football becomes better at each stage, so the best players should charge what they deserve and clubs should pay what they feel each player merits."
Eto`o admitted however that the negative aspect of big-money deals was unwelcome media exposure.
"The pressure exercised by the media has increased because football is an important source of money," he said.
"In order to sell they need to market us correctly. A good way to do it is to invent rumours. This enhances sales, making it a logical tactic to use."
