(Written
By Naman Nepal Of TheRichest.Com) The Primera Division of the Liga
Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (LFP), officially named Liga BBVA and
commonly known as La Liga was founded in 1929. With respect to UEFA’s
League coefficient system, it has been the strongest league in Europe
for the past five years. 20 teams participate in this division, the
lowest three being relegated at the end of the season. It is the second
most watched football league in the world after Barclays Premier League.
La
Liga has always been lauded for its technique, flair and visibly
nonexistent physicality. It has also been criticized for its
predictability and hyped as a ‘Two Horse Race’; rightly so after only
two teams have won the Spanish first division in the past nine years.
But due to the rise of a certain Atlético Madrid, the equations of Liga
champions may be changing in Spain.
La Liga has always produced
amazing players. From the 90s’ Landrup, Guardiola and Romário, to the
2000s’ Ronaldinho, Zidane and Beckham, to present stars like Messi,
Ronaldo and Iniesta, La Liga has produced some fine footballers. And
quality players mean quality salaries for those brilliant individuals.
So lets take a look at the highest-paid soccer players currently playing
in La Liga.
10. Xavi Hernandez – $9.36 Million Per Year
The master of passes, Xavi Hernandez plays for the Spanish national team
and Spanish champions Barcelona. Xavi joined through the youth ranks of
La Masia, rising to the first team of Barcelona, with his professional
debut coming in 1997. Xavi was a regular of Spain’s U17, U18, U20, U21
and U23 and made it to the senior side in 2000. He also represents
Catalonia’s national team. He is the first player to register assists in
2 separate Euro finals, having set up the lone goal in the 2008 final
and having 2 assists in the final 4 years later. He has won more
trophies (25) than any other Spanish player in history and creates
countless goals with genius ball handling while virtually never
relinquishing possession. Xavi’s abnormally good vision, pinpoint
accurate passing and world-class ball control allow him to dictate the
flow of play. The assist king currently earns €6.9 million a year at
Barcelona.
9. Marcelo – $9.45 Million Per Year
Likened to Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos for his technical ability,
fierce shot and good passing, Marcelo plays for Spanish Capital Club
Real Madrid. He started playing with Fluminense and was sold to Real
Madrid in January 2007. He represented Brazil in different youth levels:
U-17, 20 and 23, and made his senior national team debut in 2006. A
perfect example of a traditional Brazilian left-back with great
offensive play, Marcelo has outstanding dribbling skills and tricks.
Regularly terrorizing oppositions’ right-back and right-mid and making
overlapping runs to Cristiano Ronaldo who always cuts in, Marcelo
currently earns €6.98 million a year.
8. Dani Alves – $9.5 Million Per Year
Another
Brazilian defender who loves to attack, Daniel Alves plays for FC Barcelona and the Brazilian National team.
Dani
started his professional career at Esporte Clube Bahia. He moved to
Sevilla in 2002, first on a temporary basis and then permanently. After a
six-year stay at Seville, Dani joined Barcaelona in the summer of 2008
for €32.5 million. He made his international debut in 2006. Tormenting
opposition’s left flank with his right winger seems to be his
hobby. An indispensible member of Barca’s starting XI, Alves currently earns €7 million a year.
7. David Villa – $9.5 Million Per Year
All-time
top goal scorer for his national side, David Villa plays
for Spanish capital club
Atlético
Madrid. Villa started his professional career at Sporting Gijón. Real
Zaragoza signed him for approximately €3 million. Two years’ stay at
Zaragoza lead to a move to Valencia for €12 million. Villa has had a
very successful
spell at Valencia
scoring
108 goals in 166 appearances. In the summer of 2010 Villa signed with
Barcelona for a fee of €40 million. After three trophy-laden years at
Barcelona, he was sold to Atlético Madrid for a cut-price deal €5.1
million. Villa made his international debut in 2005 and has scored 56
goals for Spain making him the first Spanish player to ever reach 50
international goals. A fantastic finisher and a European and World
champion with Spain, Villa is paid €7 Million a year from Atlético Madrid.
6. Alexis Sánchez – $9.5 Million Per Year
A footballer capable of playing anywhere in the front three, Alexis
Sánchez plays for Spanish Champions Barcelona and Chile’s National Team.
Alexis joined Italian side Udinese in 2006. After couple of loan spells
he was finally able to cement his place in Udinese’s starting lineup in
2008. He had a successful season with the club in 2010-11 which
propelled his move to Barcelona. Sanchez had been in and out of
Barcelona’s staring line up in last two seasons but after the arrival of
new coach Gerardo Martino he has gone on to become a very important
member of Barcelona’s setup. The team pays him €7 million annually.
5. Neymar – $9.5 Million Per Year
An electric and explosive player, Neymar plays for Spanish side
Barcelona and the Brazilian national team. He joined Santos youth
academy in 2003 and rose through the ranks to the first team, making his
professional debut in 2009. In the summer of 2013, Barca paid €57
million to sign him. Neymar represented Brazil in U17, U20 and U23
levels and made his senior national team debut in 2010. A complete
package of acceleration, dribbling, finishing and the ability to use
both feet, Neymar is an important member of FC Barcelona. He currently
earns €7 million a year.
4. Iker Casillas – $10.17 Million Per Year
One of the finest goalkeepers of all time, Iker Casillas plays for and
captains both La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. He
joined Real Madrid at youth level, rising to the first team where he
made his debut in 1998-99 and had been first choice keeper until the
January arrival of Diego Lopéz last year. Casillas represented Spain at
U15, U16, U17, U18, U20 and U21 levels. The most capped player of all
time for the Spanish national team, he made his senior debut in 2000.
Casillas captained the Spanish national team to two Euro Cups and a
World Cup. Despite not being a natural starter with Madrid currently,
and limited only to Cup and Champions League matches, Casillas still
remains one of the top goalkeepers in world and earns €7.5 million a
year.
3. Lionel Messi – $21.7 Million Per Year
Barcelona and is skipper of the Argentina national team. He is a
one-club man having joined Barca’s youth academy La Masia as a young
player from Newell’s Old Boys. After rising through the ranks, Messi
became an indispensible member of Barca’s first team. He had represented
Argentina in U20 and U23 action and made his senior debut in 2005.
Intially a left winger, Messi was moved to right wing by then Barca
Manager Frank Rijkaard so he could cut in and finish using his left
foot, which turned out to be a very effective move as his goal tally
increased tremendously. After Pep Guardiola arrived, he gave Messi a
free role, namely ‘false 9’. The whole team was built around him and the
period that followed, as they say, is history. A record-breaking and
history-making football phenom, Messi currently earns €16 million a year
at the Catalan club.
2. Gareth Bale – $25.7 Million Per Year
One of the most expensive footballers in history, Gareth Bale plays
for Welsh National side and Spanish Capital Club Real Madrid. He was a
regular of Wales’ U17, U19 and U21 sides and made it onto the national
team in 2006. After starting out his professional career at Southampton
in 2006, Tottenham Hotspur signed him for an eventual £7 million in
2007. His Spurs career is highlighted by the two exhibitions Bale turned
in against Inter in 2010-11. A left-back in his early days, Bale was
moved further forward to utilize his speed and crossing ability. After a
prolific goal-scoring season in 2012-13, Bale got his dream move to
Real Madrid, who paid €100 million for him. A footballer with tremendous
speed, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities, Gareth
Bale is making £15.6 million annually at Real Madrid.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – $28.5 Million Per Year
One of the most prolific goal scorers of his generation, Cristiano Ronaldo
plays for Spanish giants Real Madrid and captains the national team of
his country Portugal. After starting out as a youth player with
Andorinha and joining C.D. Nacional, he began his professional career at
Sporting Club de Portugal. In 2003, English powerhouse Manchester
United signed him for €15 million. Real Madrid then made him the most
expensive footballer in history at the time when they bought him for €94
million in summer of 2009. Ronaldo has represented Portugal at U17,
U20, U21, U23 and senior levels. He made his national team debut in 2003
and has captained Portugual since July, 2008. He has more than a goal
per game for his current club and is joint top goal scorer of his
country. Lauded for his finishing, pace, dribbling, positioning and his
passing and crossing ability, Cristiano Rolando, The Commander In Chief
at Real Madrid, earns €21 million a year.
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