To feel absolutely disgusted by this?

Bring back the England squad of 1966, they earned a modest wage and were much more talented than today's players!

Heard it on the news this morning phoenix and it made my blood boil too. How can anyone justify £199million for kicking a lump of leather around a bit of grass? As you say, it beggars belief when you think of what that amount of money could have bought instead. It's obscene.

I`d like to comment on this but I find myself lost for words. There can be no sensible justification for it. It is nauseating.

On the BBC news this item followed a piece about women unable to claim their pensions and being driven to suicidal thoughts because they are having to ask family members for financial help

Same here
- greed, greed, greed, greed and more greed.

As my dad ( a season ticket holder at his beloved Newcastle United) always says " it'll all come to a sorry end, you mark my words "

I wish it would bloody well hurry up . It's totally obscene .

As well as the obscene amount involved I think that money has been killing off football for years now. Also many other sports. Iam waiting for the whole thing to implode. Surely Jimmy Hill didn't envisage this when he was fighting for players' wages.

The more extreme inequality there is in the world, the less chance of the human race surviving, let alone advancing.

Perhaps this has always been true but ours is the first generation to experience worldwide conectivity through the internet.

Which one of us does not alternate between feeling guilty about our comfortable lives when faced with images of starvation and feeling appalled at the millions and billions squandered on pointless luxuries for the few?

And why do those who have control of the millions and billions never seem to feel guilty? Or to do anything about it, if they do?

It's an obscene amount of money.
I used to teach children to whom I had to give breakfast in the morning, as they had nothing to eat from their school lunch the day before, because their parents had no money to feed them.
No-one needs that amount of money, it's plain greed.

I hate them, I hate them all.

I have my tin hat on but the only thing in their favour is that they have a short shelf life playing football but I do agree, it really is far too much. The Inland Revenue must be rubbing their hands with glee, that is if they are paying the IR legitimately.

And still supporters pay silly money to go and watch them

That's a moot point Charleygirl . Apologies for the DM cut & paste but I'll look for a more reputable source More than 180 fabulously wealthy Premier League stars are using private companies and other legal schemes to cut millions from their tax bills, it emerged today.
The footballers, including the majority of the England team, are using the legal loophole to avoid tax on 'image rights' paid to them by their clubs.
The Sunday Times claims that Ander Herrera of Manchester United and Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea will save almost £1million between them using companies and other tax arrangements."

In Scotland, HM Revenue has been given the go ahead by the Supreme Court to pursue those football clubs who are involved in EBT schemes.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18169502

I can remember my father being enraged to read that footballers were going to be paid £20 a week! I think at that time he was being paid between £5 and £10 (obviously as a child I wasn't told anything about the family finances) He thought £20 a week was a ludicrous amount to pay someone for playing a game. Heaven knows what he'd think today.

I will confess that I loathe, hate and detest football! It does seem to be a sport that often seems to end with the supporters engaging in what might be deemed gang warfare.

However, I suppose that there might be a positive side, perhaps a father and son enjoying time together at matches.

BUT, apparently, entry fees to football matches have become very expensive, perhaps putting them out of the reach of many families.

Perhaps these inflated ticket prices are fuelled by teams paying bloody obscene, astronomical, ridiculous amounts for players.

I completely agree with the previous comments. But what I don't understand is why the people who attract such huge salaries are not paid on results. Sign them up for an agreed term and then pay a salary for that contract. At the end, if and when they fulfill their obligations, pay them a bonus. Or is that too simplistic?

I thought I heard on the news that this footballer, of whom I have never heard, is moving from one Continental club to another Continental club not a British club, for £200 million give or take a million or so.

However, they are all paid obscene amounts for running around, kicking a ball and hugging each other.

That is exactly what DH says, Auntieflo

Football is now a multinational business not a sport of the people any more. It is obscene that anyone is bought/sold . That type of money is unimaginable for most of us. The gap between the wealthiest and poorest is growing alarmingly. Fewer rich and increasing poor. This is not a good scenario.

How refreshing to see how well the England women's football team are doing
(not that I am a football fan, but I would cheer them on)

I am really heartened by the responses, as many will know it's not often that I post on "serious" topics, but this issue has really got me feeling bloody cross.

The saddest thing is that there is bugger all we can do about it

You are not alone - this is something that has caused in this household for some time now.
And tax avoidance when people 'earn' so much money yet are greedy enough to want even more by not paying their dues.

22 men kicking a ball of air about and earning obscene amounts of money about makes my blood boil too. Whatever the result of the game it won't change our lives. Now if surgeons, doctors and many other professionals were earning big bucks that would be reasonable.

I tell my DH he should stop going to matches as he is supporting the system. He still goes even though he agrees about the money and control that Sky has. IMO Sky is undermining British culture. It is dictating the timed of matches. At one time families organised round the Saturday match at 3:00p.m..Now it can be anytime any day to fit with TV scheduling. At least we don't have Sky tv.