City’s millionaires grace our stadium
PLAYERS who earn close to $100 million a year, marry supermodels and have won FIFA World Cup trophies – welcome to the serious end of soccer.
And it is on the Gold Coast for the first time as English Premier League powerhouse Manchester City take on Melbourne City at Cbus Super Stadium this evening.
With only a few thousand tickets left, it is expected a capacity crowd will see some of the world’s best players, with Sky Blues captain Vincent Kompany and stars Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri good bets to take the field at Robina.
Other big names like goalkeeper Joe Hart, Spanish star David Silva and defender Bacary Sagna are all a chance of playing as well.
After landing last week aboard a special plane once used by British rockers the Rolling Stones and made up of only business class seats, the boys have been enjoying cuddling koalas and other tourist sights that would normally see them mugged with paparazzi and fans back home.
Just this week bosses sealed a record-setting $102 million deal to secure the services of Raheem Sterling, 20, for the next five years.
The deal will see the midfielder earn about $380,000 as his basic weekly wage.
It came after the club offered a $400,000-a-week deal to keep Silva – who helped Spain to a World Cup win in 2010.
Silva reportedly raked in $96 million this year.
Other stars of the team are not so shy about their private e lives, with social media full of posts and pictures of the glamorous women linked to the players.
French international Nasri is often snapped posing and partying with Victoria’s Secret model and actress girlfriend Anara Atanes, who is equally known for her bikini selfies as much as her passionate comments defending her man.
French full-back Sagna may only be on a “meagre” basic wage of $315,000 a year but earns millions more as the face of luxury brands and also gets to say he is married to supermodel Ludivine Sagna, with whom he regularly poses for magazine shoots.
Kompany pockets a tidy $250,000 a week while Hart takes home at least $230,000 a week.
After a period of decline in the 1980s the club is once again close to the top after it was bought in 2008 by Abu Dhabi United Group.
Transport will be free from people going from Gold Coast Suns game at Metricon Stadium to Cbus Super Stadium to watch the match, which starts at 5pm.