They are often booed in the stadiums, while they are praised very rare. But what do the referees in the top leagues of Germany, Spain, England and Italy really earn? Under certain conditions, a pretty penny can come together...
Germany
Since 2012/13, Bundesliga and second division referees have been awarded an annual basic salary in Germany. Behind the increase is the desire to optimize the preparation and follow-up of after the match, as well as to allow greater independence from the main profession. Felix Brych and Deniz Aytekin, who are in the UEFA Elite category, receive 75,000 euro, FIFA referees and those with more than five years of experience in Bundesliga are paid 65,000 euro, while all the other referees get 50,000 euro. FIFA assistant referees receive 15,000 euro, while the other Bundesliga ARs are paid 10,000 euro. In addition, the match fees are 3,800 euro for referees and 1,900 euro for the assistants; the fourth official receives 900 euro. Top earners can collect about 200,000 euro per year.
Spain
In Spain, the fix salary is a big secret. The envy is already big enough. While the average gross salary is around 2,300 euro per month, a referee collects 3,631 euro per game, the assistant 1,521 euro and the fourth official 890 euro. Two matches per month are guaranteed, plus there is a bonus from a common pot for image right, in addition to the fix salary, which is estimated for top-class referees at 10,000 euro per month.
England
Even the top referees of the Premier League are far from Germany. The Elite referees collect 73,900 euro per year. The game fees are 1,705 euro for referees and 1,250 for assistants and fourth officials.
Italy
The elite referees receive a fixed amount of 80,000 euro annually, referees who had a minimum of 25 Serie A matches are paid 40,000 euro, while newly upgraded referees get 30,000 euro; Assistant referees are generally paid a salary of 23,000 euro. The match fees amount to 3,800 euro (referee), 1,080 euro (AR) and 800 euro (fourth official).
FIFA and UEFA
On the other hand, FIFA and UEFA do not pay fixed salaries. The amount of the fees depends on the value of the match (official or friendly), as well as the tournament (World Cup, Euro, Confederations Cup) or competition (Champions League or Europa League).
Source: Kicker
