Carrot: Abramovich.
Chelsea's top players will pocket nearly £600,000 each
in bonuses if they win both the Barclays Premier League and
European Cup. Owner Roman Abramovich will fork out nearly
£14.5million in incentives if the team complete the dream
double.
If they pip Manchester United to the Premier League title on
Sunday's dramatic final day of the season, the payment schedule
drawn up at the start of the season authorises a £2.6m bonus to be
shared among the squad.
Some of the players will then earn up to another £369,000 each
if they go on to beat United in the Champions League Final in
Moscow a fortnight today. The bonus scheme is operated on a
pro-rata basis and means that Joe Cole and Claude Makelele, the
only two players to have participated in all Chelsea's 12 Champions
League matches this season, stand to make the most money.
Cole will pocket £217,000 if they win the Premier League and a
further £369,000 if they lift the European Cup — a total of
£586,000. Chelsea will have paid £9.36m in Champions League bonuses
if they win the competition and just over £5m will have been paid
to the squad in incentives should they win the Premier League.
Manchester United players can earn bonuses of up to £100,000 for
winning the Premier League and up to £200,000 for lifting the
European Cup. Chelsea's players, who are already paid up to
£130,000 a week, agreed their bonus structure with chief executive
Peter Kenyon before the start of the season.
Each Champions League victory in the group stages was rewarded
with a £10,000 bonus. The side who drew against Rosenborg 1-1 in
Jose Mourinho's last game were paid £3,000 as part of the incentive
scheme. The riches on offer increase as Chelsea progress. The
25-man Champions League squad shared a £500,000 bonus for finishing
top of their group and were on £15,000 a win and £5,000 a man for
the second-round draw against Olympiacos.
Similar sums were paid after they won their quarter-final clash
against Fenerbahce and they also distributed a £750,000 prize pool
among the squad registered with UEFA. The Champions League squad
shared a £1.5m bonus for beating Liverpool in the semi-final last
week and a further £3m is up for grabs between the 25 players in
the squad for Moscow.
Chelsea's players are paid £5,000 for each Premier League
victory, provided they are in the top four, and £1,000 for each
point in the league. Around £3m will be shared between the squad if
they win the title on Sunday. Despite the potential to win a third
Premier League title, Chelsea's players have not made any
preparations for the prospect.
Chelsea manager Avram Grant has given his players Monday and
Tuesday off next week before they begin their build-up for Moscow.
Monday's 2-0 victory over Newcastle ensured the title race would
continue until the last day of the season, when United visit Wigan
and Chelsea entertain Bolton.
Ricardo Carvalho's fitness will be assessed today after the
defender was withdrawn 11 minutes from time at Newcastle with a
back problem.
