What’s the week like for a pro footballer?

[Thankyou4calling]

I’m intrigued.

If they play on Saturday and Wednesday in some far flung European city. When do they train? How long for?

Do they eat together after training. What are the travel arrangements for a match day if your playing say 20 miles away or 200 miles away?
Do they make there own way there.

Do the players earn what the papers say?

What does a second division squad player earn?

Just some random questions really but I’d be interested to know.

[ChocolateFrog]

The high profile players will be earning more than the headline figure as that usually doesn't include endorsements, which will run into millions for the top guys.

I believe your typical league 2 player would be earning 40-100k.

They travel together either coach or plane depending on club and distance.

Training will vary, often they get a day off after matches but players that didn't play would be training.

[MissChief]

I’d be surprised if a second division squad player was earning more than £30-40k a year tbh. Enough to be professional but hardly mega bucks. Championship squad players at midfield teams could be on £50-60k, some of the bigger players in teams aiming for promotion could be on £250-500k a year. Players for teams with poorly written contracts for a team like Bournemouth could still be paying premier league style £30-50k a week wages and if they don’t bounce back quickly they could be sold. The parachute payments only last two seasons afaik.

[Deltic]

League 2 players (depending on position, experience and club) will be on anything between £800 - £5000 per week, very similar to National League.
League 1 players usually between £1000 and £10000 per week. Championship between £5000 to Silly Money again depending on club, position and experience)
As regards how they spend their time, mostly resting, most clubs train 2-3 hrs/day depending on games.
As a guide;
Saturday - game
Sunday - recovery/rest
Monday - training general
Tuesday - game
Wednesday - recovery/rest
Thursday - training
Friday - specific training for game on Saturday, maybe travel for overnight stay before away game.
Saturday - game
Repeat

[2 GKC]

MissChief said:

I’d be surprised if a second division squad player was earning more than £30-40k a year tbh. Enough to be professional but hardly mega bucks. Championship squad players at midfield teams could be on £50-60k, some of the bigger players in teams aiming for promotion could be on £250-500k a year. Players for teams with poorly written contracts for a team like Bournemouth could still be paying premier league style £30-50k a week wages and if they don’t bounce back quickly they could be sold. The parachute payments only last two seasons afaik.

£50-£60k a year for a championship player? David James was on £20k a week at Bristol city a decade ago. I’m no expert but I’d be surprised if many were on 5 figures pa

[Dashnine]

If you have Amazon Prime, watch the two seasons of All or Nothing, behind the scenes at Manchester City and then Tottenham Hotspur, very interesting and reveals some of the lifestyle, training, recovery from injury, etc. that goes on. ‘Even’ as an Arsenal fan I found the Spurs one fascinating.

[GloverMart]

When I was working at Yeovil Town from 2007-2018, we played one season in the Championship (2013/14) where our highest paid player was on £1,400 a week.

Our manager looked to strengthen his squad during the summer preceding the Championship and had to politely turn down two agents who were wanting £12k a week for their clients!!

[bigandclever]

GloverMart said:

When I was working at Yeovil Town from 2007-2018, we played one season in the Championship (2013/14) where our highest paid player was on £1,400 a week.

Our manager looked to strengthen his squad during the summer preceding the Championship and had to politely turn down two agents who were wanting £12k a week for their clients!!

The average championship salary is 29k a week this season

League one is less than 5k.

[GloverMart]

bigandclever said:

GloverMart said:

When I was working at Yeovil Town from 2007-2018, we played one season in the Championship (2013/14) where our highest paid player was on £1,400 a week.

Our manager looked to strengthen his squad during the summer preceding the Championship and had to politely turn down two agents who were wanting £12k a week for their clients!!

The average championship salary is 29k a week this season

League one is less than 5k.

Doesn't surprise me one bit. Probably part of the reason why we only stayed there for one season.

[condor]

I've heard the footballers get fined for some trivial matters too. Like not showering with the team, being a few minutes late for practice up to more serious matters such as for yellow and red cards.

[toasty]

condor said:

I've heard the footballers get fined for some trivial matters too. Like not showering with the team, being a few minutes late for practice up to more serious matters such as for yellow and red cards.

They do indeed. Fines are probably higher in the Premiership.

[GloverMart]

condor said:

I've heard the footballers get fined for some trivial matters too. Like not showering with the team, being a few minutes late for practice up to more serious matters such as for yellow and red cards.

That's right. Also for having mobiles on in team meetings or dressing rooms on matchdays, late for training/meals etc, some even more "trivial". There's usually someone in charge of the fines, a senior pro usually that will administer it and the money's often given to charity.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

toasty said:

fk me, that wouldn't go down well at Yeovil!

[GloverMart]

[Jordan210]

condor said:

I've heard the footballers get fined for some trivial matters too. Like not showering with the team, being a few minutes late for practice up to more serious matters such as for yellow and red cards.

I know of a club that at one point was finning players if their piss was the wrong colour.

every time they went for a pee a member of staff had to verify the colour. they had a colour chart on the wall of each cubicle.

[bigandclever]

Jordan210 said:

condor said:

I've heard the footballers get fined for some trivial matters too. Like not showering with the team, being a few minutes late for practice up to more serious matters such as for yellow and red cards.

I know of a club that at one point was finning players if their piss was the wrong colour.

every time they went for a pee a member of staff had to verify the colour. they had a colour chart on the wall of each cubicle.

Every club is interested in the colour of their players’ piss. It has a direct relationship with how hydrated you are.

[GloverMart]

bigandclever said:

Jordan210 said:

condor said:

I've heard the footballers get fined for some trivial matters too. Like not showering with the team, being a few minutes late for practice up to more serious matters such as for yellow and red cards.

I know of a club that at one point was finning players if their piss was the wrong colour.

every time they went for a pee a member of staff had to verify the colour. they had a colour chart on the wall of each cubicle.

Every club is interested in the colour of their players’ piss. It has a direct relationship with how hydrated you are.

And if it's the wrong colour, urine trouble!!

[Jordan210]

bigandclever said:

Every club is interested in the colour of their players’ piss. It has a direct relationship with how hydrated you are.

Indeed but I was told by senior member of staff that his club had taken it to the extreme and the manager was fixated on it even checking players pee himself.

If it did not match the chart colour exactly you got finned. Like the managers chart was the definition of perfect pee.

[bigandclever]

Yeah, I suppose fining is a *bit* harsh

But, then, footballers are a resource. Like most people they can’t be trusted to actually be on top of some things (whether that’s because they don’t think, or can’t be arsed, or are a bit thick, or just forget) so sometimes they need a bit of a mind focus. One thing about a urine colour check, you can’t really lie about how much liquid you’ve had and it’s a quick result that allows for a quick response.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

bigandclever said:

But, then, footballers are a resource. Like most people they can’t be trusted to actually be on top of some things (whether that’s because they don’t think, or can’t be arsed, or are a bit thick, or just forget) so sometimes they need a bit of a mind focus..

PL players are ridiculously cossetted, often from an early age, and can really struggle with real life once they finish. Foreign players in particular, the club does more or less everything for them But when you're spending hundreds of thousands a week on a player, you want him to just be concentrating on football.

For example, the club will hold all players' passports permanently. For foreign players and many UK ones, the club will buy and sell houses, pay all the bills, buy cars and sort out insurance, MOT, servicing. The player pays ultimately but the club sorts it all for him.

I recall when Gazza saying when he finished playing, he got his passport given to him and he'd never seen it before, didn't know what it was, what it was for, what he needed it for. He knew nothing about passports. Mind you, that might just be Gazza, he was never the brightest firework in the sky.