Like it or not, there has never been so much attention paid to officiating.
This World Cup is sure to be controversial, with star players’ names challenged by officials and referees, and in the spotlight like never before. VAR’s powers are increasing, the stakes are higher than ever, and we expect referees to be absolutely perfect in every game.
And we’re talking about the hottest, most talked about, most important match on the planet. Everything is heating up for the World Cup finals, which will be held on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Every soccer fan, and millions of soccer fans, will be taking part in the coordination, and the referees will be under extreme pressure in the biggest game of their lives. So, this is a long way of saying…umpires deserve every penny they receive. They are worth their weight in gold.
FIFA appoints the best players and they deserve to be paid the best in football.
Yes, I was surprised by the money that World Cup referees are paid. We are talking about up to $100,000 to participate in the tournament.
Why should I be surprised? It’s because I didn’t know how much money I would make as a game manager.
And it’s really interesting. In classic old-fashioned journalism fashion, a good story is about telling you something you don’t know.
Michael Oliver is one of two England players (Image: Phil Duncan/Every Second Media/Shutterstock)
But the best referees should be paid the highest rates. And think about what players are getting from their clubs and commercial contracts. It’s amazing. Blamey’s £75,000-a-week wage seems a bit low in Premier League terms. Dozens of players earn four times that amount per week. A week!
Again, why the heck wouldn’t you? They are in the entertainment industry. This ridiculous argument about why soccer players shouldn’t earn X amount of money, while nurses and doctors deserve it, is just plain ridiculous.
Of course doctors and nurses have to earn more. But that’s another discussion. And it deserves more time and respect. It has nothing to do with soccer players or referees.
In fact, even the referees are part of the show. They are part of the theater. So they should be well compensated for participating in a multi-billion dollar tournament.
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