The Russian Premier League is the sixth highest-paying football league in the world, with players earning an average annual salary of 67 million rubles ($1.4 million), according to a study published by the Daily Mail last week.
The Russian league ranked behind the professional football leagues of the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain and France in terms of its players' average salaries, the study revealed.
Russian authorities and football fans have come to realize that a hefty budget is not necessarily a measure of success.
Fabio Capello — the head coach of Russia's national team, who was lured to lead the team with an $11 million annual salary — was reportedly the highest-paid trainer at this year's World Cup in Brazil, according to Forbes. Capello — who reportedly has not been paid since June — was harshly criticized after his squad flamed out of the tournament at the group stage.
Last week the Russian Football Union said it did not have enough money to pay Capello, Interfax reported. Since the announcement, Russian media outlets have speculated that Team Russia's friendly match against Hungary on Tuesday could be Capello's last day in his position.
