Wage Ranking (Euros spent per season on wages, based on figures at the beginning of the campaign)

1) Milan 120 million
2) Inter 110
3) Juve 97
4) Roma 59
5) Fiorentina 30
6) Palermo 25
7) Sampdoria 24
8) Torino 23
9) Genoa 21
10) Napoli 20
11) Catania 19
12) Lazio 18
13) Livorno 15
14 Udinese 14
15) Parma 14
16 Reggina 13
17) Empoli 12
18) Siena 12
19) Atalanta 12
20) Cagliari 11

League Ranking (after 36 games)
            
1) Inter 81 points
2) Roma 78
3) Juventus 70
4) Milan 61
5) Fiorentina 60
6) Udinese 57
7) Sampdoria 56
8) Genoa 48
9) Napoli 47
10) Palermo 46
11) Atalanta 45
12) Siena 42
13) Lazio 40
14) Cagliari 38
15) Torino 37
16) Reggina 36
17) Catania 35
18) Parma 34
19) Empoli 33
20) Livorno 30

What is clear straight away is that the top four annual spenders on wages - Milan, Inter, Juventus and Roma - are also the top four in the league table. While their positions may not be identical, they are all set to qualify for the lucrative Champions League (Milan are still to confirm their place), thus proving many peoples theory that we are in a vicious circle where the rich just get richer, which thus translates into success and trophies. A similar argument has been used in the English Premiership with the big four of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

In Serie A there certainly is far more competition than in England, with the likes of Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Udinese all challenging, and Napoli a definite rising force, however the money that can be afforded on wages by the big teams is making it extremely difficult for other teams to alter the status quo.

There are exceptions. Udinese have certainly been the revelation of the campaign in this respect. The Zebrette are the joint-14th highest wage spenders, yet they are sixth in Serie A, and for the first half of the campaign were in the top four. Udinese's highest earner, Antonio Di Natale, earns less than Milan's lowest, Zeljko Kalac, while only two Inter players (based on wages at the beginning of the season), Pele and Nelson Rivas are worse off than the Azzurri frontman.

Other teams to punch above their weight include Atalanta, who are a relegation team based on wages, but are 11th in the real standings, and have only dropped below mid-table having had nothing to play for in the last month or so. The same can be said about Cagliari, however until their Houdini act late in the day, they had been bottom for much of the campaign, and they are still not completely safe.

Fiorentina and Sampdoria's positions in Serie A, fifth and seventh respectively, are exactly the same as their wage ranking, thus adding further strength to the 'wealth equals success' premise. The same is so for Reggina in 14th, while Napoli, Lazio and Genoa are only one place off their wage position.

Palermo and Torino are the two teams who have underperformed, Palermo are the sixth highest salary-spenders, and Torino eighth, but both find themselves 10th and 15th respectively, with the Granata still in danger of being relegated. The three teams currently in the relegation zone are also not the three lowest in the wage table.

Overall there can be no doubting that there is a definite link between salary and success, particularly with regards to the top four, who spend so much more than the rest of the league it is unbelievable. When you consider that Milan's two highest earners, Kaka and Dida, together earn pretty much the same in a year that the whole Cagliari squad does together (11m), then you realise just how difficult it is for the smaller sides to compete with the big boys.


Carlo Garganese