| Abstrakt: |
During the financial crisis that started in 2007–2008, the incomes of the most outstanding professional footballers increased exponentially in Spain. By contrast, most wage-labourers witnessed a drop in their wages. Professional football industry owners relied on professional advisory reports, such as one developed by the KPMG consultancy to justify the income increase. According to this report, each player is remunerated according to his contribution to social wealth. In this article, such a claim is questioned. Firstly, the notion of wealth developed and used by mainstream economics is criticized. Secondly, based on Marx's concept of rent, an alternative explanation is developed. In doing so, a contrary conclusion is reached in that the incomes of football stars do not correspond to their contribution to social wealth and they, in fact, appropriate wealth that they themselves do not produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
