PAID IN FULL? Donovan questions Suarez's salary
By Luis Bueno LASoccerNews.com Editor
Landon Donovan said he didn't believe that Claudio Suarez's salary was around $150,000. Photo by Luis Bueno/LASoccerNews.com
CARSON, Calif. – When the Major League Soccer Players Union released player salary figures on May 4, both Southern California clubs stood out in terms of total team payroll.
At just over $9 million, the Galaxy has the highest payroll in the league. Conversely, at roughly $1.5 million, Chivas USA has the lowest payroll of any MLS team.
Still, it’s information that Galaxy captain Landon Donovan did not wholeheartedly believe.
“Claudio Suarez making a hundred grand? I don’t think so,” Donovan said. “Something tells me he’s not making that. If we want to get into real payrolls, we can get into real payrolls.”
When told of Donovan’s comments, Suarez smiled and shook his head.
“I don’t need to explain my salary to anybody, least of all him,” Suarez said.
Chivas USA will host the Galaxy on Sunday in the second Super Clasico of the season. High payroll or not, the clubs will do battle in what could be a pivotal match.
However, this Super Clasico – the 11th all-time league meeting between the two sides – has a new twist. This is the first time the clubs have faced off with their salaries opened by the union for public inspection.
Such openness seemed to catch Suarez by surprise.
“It’s normal here to publicize salaries and make that information available. In Mexico, there is some morbid curiosity about salaries. There are a lot of insecure people there,” Suarez said.
Over the years, Suarez has played for three of Mexico’s top clubs. He started his career with Pumas UNAM and eventually moved to Chivas de Guadalajara, where he helped guide to the club to a league title. Suarez left Chivas for Monterrey side Tigres UANL.
With waning interest from Mexican clubs following the Apertura 2005 campaign, Suarez turned to MLS and joined Chivas USA. He worked to overcome injuries and eventually landed a spot on Mexico’s 2006 World Cup team.
Along the way, Suarez said he has not really discussed his contracts or earnings with the media.
“I don’t really like to talk about my contracts or anything to have to do with money,” Suarez said. “I never have. I just like to keep the focus on the field.”
Playing professionally in the United States has been an adjustment to Suarez. It took time for Mexico’s all-time caps leader to adjust to MLS and life in the United States. Public disclosure of player salaries, for instance, does not happen in Mexico. So now that he has no choice but to watch as his salary is digested by the American media and the public at large, Suarez said he can only control so much.
“I don’t think I have to really prove to anybody what I earn,” he said. “It’s public. I respect the decision to make that public.”
According to the union figures, Donovan is the league’s fifth highest-paid player at $900,000 per season. Figures like that caught Suarez’s attention.
“It makes me laugh because when I saw some of the higher salaries, I said ‘Hey, I’d like to make that much,’” Suarez said. “Ultimately, every player signs his own contract.”
Suarez, meanwhile, will earn $146,991.60 this season, Donovan’s beliefs notwithstanding.
“Maybe he doubts but if he wants, we can compare check stubs or income tax returns,” Suarez said.
