French Government scrutinise Ibrahimović's "astronomic" PSG wages

By Andrew Warshaw

July 19 – The French Government has questioned the wages being paid to Zlatan Ibrahimović following the Swedish striker’s high-profile move from AC Milan to big-spending Paris Saint Germain (PSG) for a reported €20 million (£16 million/$25 million).

PSG, owned by Qatar Sports Investments and bidding to become a major powerhouse in European football, have not disclosed the financial terms of the deal but media reports have put Ibrahimović’s annual salary at €14 million (£11 million/$17 million).

French Government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said 30-year-old Ibrahimović would be taxed like anyone else and that there was no reason footballers should escape the 75 per cent rate promised for later this year by President François Hollande.

“Between you and me I think a lot of people are shocked by the income the player you are talking about will make,” she said.

Sports Minister Valérie Fourneyron went further, saying it was time to tackle the problem of excessive wages when several Governments are struggling to stave off mounting debts.

“European [soccer] clubs’ deficits are worth €1.5 billion (£1.2 billion/$1.8 billion) at the moment – that should be cause for thought,” she said.

“These sums are astronomic and unreasonable.

“They’re among the things that we can deplore today in football, the complete lack of regulation.”

Ibrahimović, who had a contract with Milan until June 2015, was Serie A’s top scorer last season, netting 28 goals as the Rossoneri finished runners-up to Juventus.

The former Barcelona, Juve, Inter Milan and Ajax striker is the latest signing to arrive in the French capital as PSG bid to win the title for the first time since 1994 after finishing runners-up behind Montpellier last season.

PSG’s recent spending has thrust them into an elite group with seemingly bottomless pockets of money as the French club bid to emulate what Premier League champions Manchester City, owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, have done in England by winning their domestic league – then trying to repeat the feat in the Champions League.

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