Football Leaks have been busy sleuthing once again, and today have leaked the details of Neymar's contract with Barcelona. As always, the details of the contract are very interesting. It reveals that Neymar is paid €5 million per season at Barcelona, and that his release clause is set at a gargantuan €190 million.
In reality, Neymar earns far more than €5 million per season: he earns much more through bonuses. Examples include a €425,000 windfall for winning the Ballon D'Or, and an added €850,000 for winning the Champions League. So when Neymar produced that '100% Jesus' headband in last year's Champions League final, it is nice to now know he was celebrating instantly earning more than most supporters do in their lifetime.
Should Neymar spend five years at Barcelona, and for some reason if bonuses have not brought total earnings up to €45,900,000 gross, Barcelona will make up the difference. We should point out that this figure is a projected figure before tax, it seems as if Neymar takes care of his own tax affairs.
Neymar is also contractually obliged to "make every effort to integrate into the Catalan society, respecting and embracing its cultural values, with a special commitment to learn Catalán".
The contract also features an utterly preposterous bonus:
In return for the right of the manager to place the player in the most convenient position, to call him or not, to start him or not, the club will pay the player €100,000 every season.
Neymar is paid a hundred grand a year for merely recognising his manager. That's €100,000 for simply agreeing that the manager has the right to select the team, and pick Neymar wherever he wishes. We assumed that such a recognition was implicit and unpaid, but we were wrong. So the next time your boss makes a decision in which you disagree with, make it even worse by recalling that Neymar is paid €100,000 for realising that his boss is allowed to make that call.
The clause essentially remunerates Neymar handsomely for the rare occasion he is left on the bench, meaning truly that it is a case of 'Neymar: Mes Que Un Sub'.
[r/soccer]
