What Dundalk are doing gets put into crazier and crazier context every week.
Already in 2016, the League of Ireland champions have amassed over €6.5m for their European exploits alone.
One win in the Europa League group stage against Maccabi Tel Aviv has seen Stephen Kenny’s men accumulate a bigger prize bonus in 90 minutes than what three seasons winning the domestic league could do for their kitty.
Here’s what Dundalk’s appearances on the continent have done for them since the summer.
Champions League 2nd qualifying round – €300,000
Champions League 3rd qualifying round – €400,000
Champions League playoffs – €3,000,000
Europa League group stage – €2,400,000
Europa League draw – €120,000
Europa League win – €360,000
Total so far: €6,580,000
On Thursday night, Dundalk were inches, mere inches away from doubling their lead. Dane Massey’s second half header goes a little to the right and the Irish wonders are two up and on course for another €360k windfall.
It wasn’t to be and, in the end, what the Lilywhites had targeted as a win, was wrote off as brave and spirited and all the rest. They’re not on this journey to be patronised though. Stephen Kenny looks at that like a home loss and a chance gone missing and nothing else. So they get their eyes are ahead again, they’ll try to put it right. They’ll strive for perfection.
But the scale of the achievement shouldn’t be lost in their ambition.
Take one player as one sample.
According to a report from Russian Football News back in December, Zenit St Petersburg players dominate the player salaries in the Russian Premier League.
Axel Witsel was said to be earning €4,000,000 a year.
You break that down and the Belgian is bringing in almost €77,000 a week for playing football.
Javi Garcia was said to be earning €4,500,000 a year.
That’s over €86,000 per week. Every seven bloody days. Javi Garcia is therefore raking in twice as much as the highest League of Ireland earner would in a year.
A report last year in the Irish Independent put the harsh realities of Irish football into grim perspective.
“This year the highest earner in the League of Ireland is on €40,000 per year, while the average wage of a Premier Division player is just €16,000 per year and their First Division colleagues average €4,000 per annum.”
€40,000 per year for a league that included Richie Towell. And you look at that game on Thursday night and you can’t really tell what the difference is. Certainly not why one player in blue would get paid twice as much as a Dundalk player does each year – and why he’d get that sum every single week when his counterpart can’t even get a contract for three months of a normal year.
In the latest GAA Hour, we talk to Ken McGrath of Waterford and with Declan Brennan about a new club players’ association. Listen below or subscribe on iTunes.
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