Three Stars Offer to Take Pay Cuts
Only a couple of weeks after scoring two goals against Germany and leading Brazil to its fifth World Cup title, Ronaldo on Sunday found himself offering to take a pay cut.
It wasn’t his idea. The notion of accepting less money came from Italy World Cup striker Christian Vieri, who passed it on to Ronaldo, who in turn enlisted the aid of Uruguayan World Cup midfielder Alvaro Recoba.
The trio plays for Inter Milan, and these are difficult financial times for Internazionale, as they are for all Serie A clubs in Italy. The three players, each of whom earns more than $4 million a year in salary (excluding endorsement income), offered to take pay cuts of 5% to 10%.
“We spoke to each other and decided to do something,” to show support for Inter President Massimo Moratti, Vieri was quoted as saying on Inter’s Web site. “The president has supported us in every moment and we wanted to make a concrete gesture, a gesture as Inter players.
“It doesn’t matter how much. We won’t bring accountants into it. What is important is to take the initiative.”
Added Recoba, the highest-paid player in Serie A with a reported annual salary of $7.9 million: “If a club can’t pay [all] the players, then we need to be honest and accept a pay cut, for the good of everyone.”
Meanwhile, Sergio Campana, president of the Italian players union, said players were willing to accept pay cuts if their team is relegated to a lower division and also would accept performance-related contracts.
“From now on, the contracts will be flexible,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “One part will be fixed [and] another will be based on performance--results, goals scored or saved, and other factors.”
New Zealand Wins Oceania Title
A 79th-minute goal by Ryan Nelson off a free kick by the Galaxy’s Simon Elliott earned New Zealand a 1-0 victory over Australia in Auckland, New Zealand, and the championship of the Oceania Nations Cup.
Australia, whose soccer federation is beset by debt, was unable to afford to bring any of its European-based players to the eight-nation tournament and New Zealand took full advantage.
The Kiwis will represent Oceania in next summer’s FIFA Confederations Cup.
Australia had been expected to make a bid to play host to the tournament.
Croatia Selects Baric
Croatia, which finished third at the France ’98 World Cup but was ousted in the first round at Korea/Japan ‘02, has hired Otto Baric as its new coach.
“Herr Otto,” as the 69-year-old is called, had been coach of Austria in its failed attempt to qualify for the World Cup. He replaces Mirko Jozic, who quit after Croatia’s failure in Japan.
Paraguay Goes With Ruiz
Anibal “Mano” Ruiz, former coach of Paraguay’s youth team, has been appointed national team coach, replacing veteran Italian coach Cesare Maldini, who led Paraguay to the round of 16 at the World Cup.
Schwan Dies at 80
Robert Schwan, the coach who led Bayern Munich to European Cup titles in 1974, 1975 and 1976, has died of heart failure at age 80 at his vacation home in Reith near the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbuhel.
Joao Pinto Banned, Fined
The indefinite ban that FIFA handed out to Portugal World Cup player Joao Pinto after he punched Argentine referee Angel Sanchez for red-carding him during Portugal’s 1-0 loss to South Korea has been given more definite form.
Pinto, 30, who plays for Sporting Lisbon, has been banned from all soccer activity for four months and fined $33,670, FIFA announced. He was also put on probation for one year and ordered to pay $10,100 in costs.
Metsu to Coach in UAE
Frenchman Bruno Metsu, who coached Senegal to the quarterfinals in its World Cup debut, has accepted a one-year contract to coach the club side Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates. No financial details were revealed.
Iran Players Lashed
Eight players from Iran’s national team have been sentenced to be whipped for visiting prostitutes in Tehran, according to a report by Agence France-Presse. Prostitution has been outlawed in the country since the 1979 Islamic revolution but flourishes regardless.
A court official told Agence France-Presse that two players already had been subjected to 70 and 170 lashes, respectively, and that six others were still to be punished.
The eight players allegedly were identified by photographs found during a raid on a Tehran house of prostitution.
