Getting rich on the pitch isn't the norm

Global survey sheds light on player salaries

Far from the playboy image of owning fast cars and living in mansions, most soccer players around the world face low salaries, delayed payments, bullying and intimidation, according to a survey published on Tuesday.

Sixty percent of the nearly 14,000 players interviewed in 54 countries earned less than $2,000 a month and four in 10 experienced late payment at some stage in the past two years, the survey conducted by the world players' union FIFPro revealed.