The Gazzetta dello Sport's annual investigation found that Serie A's "total yearly salary spend has again fallen," according to FOOTBALL ITALIA. The 20 Serie A clubs now hand out €849M ($1.1B) to their players, €63M ($81M) "less than in the previous campaign" and a "massive" €251M ($324M) saving from '11. Juventus is the "only club whose wage bill has actually increased" as it presently hands out €118M ($152M) to its first team squad. AC Milan, without European football, is now paying €94M ($121M) instead of €105M ($135M) after the summer exits of Mario Balotelli, Kaka and Robinho. In terms of individual players, Roma's Daniele De Rossi is the highest
earner. His €6.5M ($8.4M)-a-year salary is €1M ($1.3M) more than Gonzalo Higuain of
Napoli (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 9/8).
COACHES: FOOTBALL ITALIA reported in a separate piece Napoli coach Rafa Benitez is the "best paid Coach in Serie A" beginning the '14-15 season. He is listed as the "best-paid tactician in the Division,
pulling in an annual salary after tax" of €3.5M ($4.5M), and he is "closely
followed by predecessor" and current Inter Milan coach Walter Mazzarri,
on €3.3M ($4.3M), a wage "higher than any Nerazzurro player." Roma's Rudi Garcia and Juventus' Max Allegri are "next on the billing"
with €2.8M ($3.6M) and €2.4M ($3.1M) salaries, respectively, "whilst Pippo Inzaghi's
promotion to the Milan bench this summer" has netted him €1.5M ($1.9M) a year (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 9/8).
