Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1022495
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 5 SEPTEMBER 2018 20 FOOTBALL SPORTS WARREN ZAMMIT CRISTIANO Ronaldo is cur- rently earning €31 million a year which is three times more than anyone else in Italy's top flight, according to a report published by Gazzetta dello Sport. The thirty-three-year-old has been a big talking point in Italy since his €100 million move to Juventus this summer. Juventus have a perfect re- cord after winning their first three games. Despite this, Ron- aldo is yet to score a goal and has attracted criticism for his failure to find the net. However, it is no surprise that Ronaldo is top of the rankings when it comes to earnings. In fact, the wage gap between Juventus and the rest of the teams is quite astonish- ing. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Ronaldo takes home much more than any of his team-mates or rivals. Not only is the five-time Ballon d'Or and Champions League winner by far the big- gest earner in the league, but he also earns three times as much as anyone else. The second highly-paid player is Gonzalo Higuain who joined Milan from Juventus follow- ing the arrival of Ronaldo. The Argentine is currently earning €9.5 million per season. The third highest-paid player is fellow Argentine and Juven- tus forward Paulo Dybala who is currently earning €7 million per season. Due to this, it is no surpise that Juventus' wage budget is far greater than that of any other team in Italy. The Bianconeri are currently spending €219 million per sea- son on salaries only. Milan are next as they pay €140 million. On the other hand, Empoli are the lowest spending team with an expense of €16 million per season. Ronaldo earns three times more than anyone in Serie A The Portuguese star is reportedly earning three times as much as Gonzalo Higuain who is the second highly-paid player in the Italian league WARREN ZAMMIT FORMER Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has agreed terms with Zenit St Petersburg after terminating his contract with Juventus in Italy The Italy international, 32, left Juventus in August after terminating his contract, end- ing a 25-year spell with the Italian club Marchisio played 389 times for the Italian Champions, winning seven league titles and four Coppa Italia in the process. "I had no doubt about sign- ing for Zenit," said Marchisio, who has signed a two-year deal with the Russian club. "I like the club, I like the ambition. After leaving Ju- ventus, I promised that I would not sign for any other Italian team, but I still want- ed to find a place that shares my values." The Turin-born player suf- fered a knee injury in April 2016 that kept him on the side lines for six months. During last season, Marchi- sio made 20 appearances for Juventus. The Italian midfielder also played 55 times for his coun- try since making his debut in 2009. Marchisio joins Zenit St Petersburg on free transfer The former Juventus midfielder has agreed terms with Zenit St Petersburg after terminating his contract with the Bianconeri