Details have emerged on the bonuses that Russia’s players allegedly demanded for Euro 2012. They were crazy and they still didn’t make it past the group stage.
While the Irish squad quickly, and quietly, settled the issue of their Euro 2012 bonuses long before the tournament started it seems things operate a little differently in Russia.
According to pre-tournament reports, the Irish squad had a pool of €1m available to them, depending on results. We imagine most of that money remained in the FAI’s coffers, though Sean St Ledger might have gotten a few quid as our only goal scorer in Poland.
It was a very different story in Russia, if a report by Russia Today can be believed.
They carry quotes from a former USSR international and current Russian Football Union employee, Anzor Kavazashvili where he details the madness going on in the Russian set-up at Euro 2012.
“Ahead of the first match against the Czech Republic, our players have put a condition that they wouldn’t play unless they were paid a certain sum,” Kavazashvili says. “In the end, we agreed that at the group stages they’d receive 800,000 euro (each) for victory and 400,000 euro for a draw.
“This is crazy money, equal to the annual budget of a good sports school or even several of them. It’s just awful,” the 71-year-old added.
It seems the incentive initially worked, as Dick Advocaat’s side won their opener against the Czech Republic 4-1. A draw with Poland had them on the brink of qualification but a defeat to Greece, and the Czech’s win over Poland, eliminated them.
Still, if Kavazashvili is correct, each player still went home €1.2million better off. Not bad for three games.
