According to the fourth annual Sunday Times Sport Rich List, Sir Alex Ferguson is British football’s wealthiest manager with a fortune of £34 million.
The long time Manchester United manager, who earns approximately £7m a year at Old Trafford, tops both Roy Keane and Arsene Wenger, who are each reportedly worth £29m. Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini and Republic of Ireland gaffer Giovanni Trapattoni round out the Top 5 with at £21m.
The bottom half of the list features a hodgepodge of former Premier League bosses including ex-Leicester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson (£16m), former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce (£14m), former QPR head-man Mark Hughes (£14m), and Martin O’Neill (£12), who was recently dumped out of his job on Wearside. But it wouldn’t be a money list without Harry Redknapp (£13m), Rafa Benitez (£12m) and Roy Hodgson (£12m), all squeaking into the Top 10.
The list raises some interesting talking points.
First and foremost, the golden rule to making managerial money is that longevity (and winning) trumps all. Ferguson and Wenger’s places on the list makes that obvious. But what about the Premier League’s third most tenured manager, David Moyes? The Scot is nowhere to be found. And people wonder why he’s held off on re-signing his contract at Goodison Park and could favor a move to Germany.
Second, who knew Sunderland was such a financial bastion for managers? Keane, O’Neill and Bruce are all rolling in the dough despite all being ousted from their post. This news may be slightly disturbing for Sunderland supporters who have painfully watched their team flounder around mid-table for the last few years. But it will likely bring a smile to the lips of Paolo Di Canio. With these figures, don’t be surprised if all those celebratory touchline dance moves are due to the financial cherry that chairman Ellis Short will award if the Italian manages to keep the Black Cats in the top flight.
Finally, one can only assume that a good number of the men on this list make their money through means outside of their managerial contract. Whether through sponsorships, investments or appearance fees there seems to be no other way to explain Keane accumulating £29m at Ipswich Town (and Sunderland) or Bruce making £14m at Hull (and Sunderland).
