This post is by Mark Russell of GQ.
http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gq-daily-news/articles/090601-mark-russell-footballers.aspx
For a sector of the workforce that contributes so much to the Zeitgeist, footballers have never been particularly sharp judges of the public mood. Take the Chelsea players who, for example, allegedly saw fit to party in public the evening of 9/11 while the rest of the West was in a state of shock. Or earlier this year, while banned for their part in a drinking session after a three-nil defeat to Holland, Scotland's Barry Ferguson and Alan McGregor made schoolboy V signs at the press while they sat watching the following national team play from the stands, forgetting that they were, by proxy, swearing at the entire nation. Cue much-deserved outrage and a lifetime ban from the national side for both players.
So now, just when the public mood is still simmering over tax-evading, home-flipping MPs, Premier League footballers are considering ways of avoiding the new 50 per cent tax rate introduced in the last budget.
Apparently Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool are seeking to use a loophole that would allow them to pay salaries as "interest-free loans", which in some cases attract a mere 2.5 per cent tax. As far as ill-judged tactics go, this is up there with Fergie's playing Ryan Giggs in the midfield hole against Barcelona last week.
Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin is reported to have said he received an "unpleasant surprise" when he saw the amount of tax he was paying on his £80,000-a-week salary, and is also believed to be seeking a higher deal to compensate for this fact. That'll be the same sort of "unpleasant surprise" that arises when purchasing a "cheap" season ticket at Arsenal's Emirates stadium for a whopping £925. As for the Premier League itself, they'll likely positively encourage this tax dodging or wage hiking to keep hold of the best players in the world, citing their fear of an exodus of talent.
There is a very strong argument that the influx of foreign players on the English league has had a detrimental effect on home-grown British players and as a result has weakened England's national team (who, let's not forget, failed to qualify for the last major tournament). So many foreign stars play in the Premier League that it's not unheard of for a Premier League side to field an all-foreign starting XI. However, whenever the idea of a cap on foreign players is mooted, the idea is dismissed by clubs and the authorities as being unworkable due to European employment law. Isn't it funny how the Premier League and the clubs' lawyers haven't been quite so quick to find a loophole here?
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