Highest-paying teams in the world

espn ^ | 5-1-12 | jeff gold

[TurboZamboni]

SPANISH SOCCER GIANT FC Barcelona has had a disappointing season, failing to repeat as Champions League winner and facing an all but certain second-place finish in La Liga. But the team's underachieving results are not from a lack of spending. For the second straight year, Barcelona is paying its players the highest average salary in the world at $8.7 million. The findings were revealed in the second annual ESPN The Magazine/SportingIntelligence Global Salary Survey. Full results will be released in conjunction with The Magazine's Money Issue, on sale May 4. The poll encompassed 278 teams, 14 leagues, 10 countries, seven sports and 7,925 athletes. Total wages calculated: $15.7 billion.

At the start of the 2011-12 season, Barcelona had a payroll of $217 million, with an average player salary of $8.7 million, almost $1 million more than the survey's second-place finisher Real Madrid, whose players earn an average of $7.8 million per season. It marks the second straight year Real Madrid has finished behind its La Liga rivals. In terms of total payroll, the New York Yankees are ranked second ($196 million) but fall to sixth in per-player average ($6.2 million).

[TurboZamboni]

do Barcelona taxpayers pay for their stadium?

[RayChuang88]

Nope. Camp Nou (FC Barcelona's home stadium) is paid for by ownership stakes in the team, a system similar to how people can buy "shares" of the Green Bay Packers.

[safeasthebanks]

Bump

[dfwgator]

I hope Bayern Munich beats the snot out of Chelsea.

[dfwgator]

I was stunned to see on the list how much Cricketers in India make.