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27 March 2018

The truth about footballers houses and how they live

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For many people, footballers have become the source of a lot of envy due to their astronomical wages, while for others their lifestyle is an inspiration to also achieve what they have. Footballers often get paid handsomely for what is essentially ‘kicking a ball around’ and because they are some of the highest paid athletes in the world have the power to live as they wish. Next to the big wages another subject of intense scrutiny is therefore their houses, and with almost unbelievable weekly earnings, football stars can afford to buy almost any house they want.

But what is the actual truth about footballers’ houses and how they live? The answer is that while most live a life of perceived luxury, the truth is often more complicated than that.

Luxury, Fancy Living, and Necessity

For football stars, playing soccer is just a job, it just happens to pay very well in these days of bumper television coverage rights that cost TV station billions to secure. Add to that the gate takings and commercial sponsorship deals and you have a situation where football clubs can afford to share a bigger slice of the pie with those that actually make it all happen on the pitch.

However because it is how they make a living, most footballers will tend to buy houses out of necessity: in close proximity to their current club for example, or near their families and loved ones. So while many end up with big expensive housing where they live a life of luxury and fancy living, the main reason is the necessity of being able to live close to where you work, – the properties just happen to cost a lot more than the average persons’ home.

Security, Status, and Solitude

Another aspect about footballer’s houses that many do not consider is the fact that due to their public profile, footballers need a place where they can just go home to and escape all the attention. In addition, having such a public profile also makes many sports stars’ properties a target for burglars and robbers and this is another factor that will govern where they choose to live. As such footballers tend to live in exclusive suburbs in the city their club is based in so as to have some form of security for their wealth and property.

That is not to say that footballers do not buy houses as a status symbol, they do, but all the above comes at a cost and is a pre-requisite if you’re a high income earner. Other factors that govern the location and cost of footballer’s houses include proximity to friends, teammates, and children if for example they have split up with their spouse.

In researching this article, one factor that stood out was the fact that most footballers are just average people who want to live a normal life just like everyone else. Many speak of how they wish they could lead ‘normal’ lives whereby they can hang out with their old friends, visit their families and go about their lives as they did before without being constantly harassed.

Footballers are often under a lot of scrutiny because of the lavishness and cost of their houses, but the factors above all play a part. Because they earn a lot of money sometimes the result can be what we on the outside see as ostentatious displays of wealth or people who are out of touch. But the next time you are about to pass judgement about footballers’ houses, ask yourself; “would I do anything differently if I was in the same situation?” Most of us like to think we would, but the reality is of course that we probably wouldn’t.

 

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