Professional footballer income in Belgium up 61% in six years

According to an analysis of the financial statements of football players in Belgium's first division, the players earn an average of €255,157 gross per year, not including the numerous benefits such as group insurance, premiums, holiday pay and a 13th month, write various Belgian media.

Anderlecht players are by far the highest paid footballers in Belgium, with an average gross annual salary of €600,010. They are followed by players for Club Brugge (€450,483) and Standard Liège (€331,353).

Over the past six years, the average gross annual income of a Belgian first division player rose from €158,000 to €255,000, an increase of 61%. In the last four seasons, however, footballer wages in Belgium have more or less stagnated.

"We don't expect the wages to continue to rise at such a a significant rate in the coming years," says jurist Stijn Boeykens of the Belgian players union Sporta. "The increase was mainly due to a new TV contract and the introduction of an advantageous payroll tax system in 2008."

Under the new system, first division footballers in Belgium pay only about 20% income tax on their gross wages, a considerably lower rate than the 25- and 50% paid by most employees in the country.