What's your salary? [Bonus Article]

Salaries are a sensitive topic in any work environment, especially if you start comparing them. I’m sure most of us have been there, thinking to ourselves ‘how much does he/she make?’ or perhaps even worse ‘how can he/she make more than I do?’. In football, there is no taboo in discussing and comparing salaries but it sure brings out the same reactions most of the time.

Just as football fans complain about certain players making too much money, there is no doubt that the players themselves make these sorts of evaluations as well. Clubs that are well-organised and, above all, well-run usually don’t encounter too many issues on this front as the salaries tend to be where they should be. Of course, there will always be narcissistic players but you get the point.

However, no matter how much you protect yourself from player frustration rooted in ‘unfair’ salaries, you cannot always account for positive and negative development. Some players experience a breakthrough and suddenly, though understandably so, the contracts are stuck in the past. Others, meanwhile, remain on a level they don’t deserve anymore.

So, what has this got to do with Milan? Well, taking a look at the wage bill for the 2024-25 season, which was recently revealed in full, there are clear examples of the above and not just because the club changed hands two years ago. To me, there are three topics that need to be addressed…