DEL PIERO THE TOP EARNER
Well respected French bi-weekly, France Football has published a report on the salaries of world stars and tells that del Piero (pictured) has a contract with the Turin club that will guarantee him a cool £3 million per year until 2004.
That is not a bad amount for a forward who has failed to score a league goal in open play this season, and this amount can be doubled when endorsements are included.
The 25-year-old negotiated the deal while he was on the treatment table after suffering a horrific knee ligament injury being the first player to be granted his demands by the Stadio Delle Alpi board. Praise indeed as such names as Fabrizio Ravanelli and Roberto Baggio both tried and failed.
Manchester United wing-wizard David Beckham is the first Englishman in the list, earning a reported £1.4 million per year.
This figure equates to a figure in the region of £27,000 per week - which will be significantly boosted when advertising is added into the equation.
This amount places Beckham ahead of Real Madrid's former Liverpool star Steve McManaman in the earning stakes, who is reputed to earn £2.9 million per year.
The first Frenchman in the list is another Santiago Bernabeu player, Nicolas Anelka who declares a whopping £3 million per year to the taxman.
Fabien Barthez is the highest paid goalkeeper, with the Monaco shot stopper raking in an alleged £2.16 million per year.
Lens chairman Gervais Martel commented on the problems that high salaries are causing, because to keep a player you have to meet their demands.
"Today, when you discuss with a player, and an English club offers him a salary that is tax free, you have to conform or you lose the player," Martel announced.
He also stated how he would prefer to reward loyalty, saying: "I can say that at Lens the bonus system is important, but all the bonuses are fixed at the start of the season. I am in favour of stock options because it is a kind of tax exemption. It rewards faithfulness."
