How much would people have to pay you to play football just like Ronaldinho? If I could I would do it for free but if you want the man himself you’ll have to pay around ?19.5m a year to match his current salary and outside earnings, making him the world’s current highest paid footballer.

Former top earner David Beckham has seen his earnings drop by almost a third to just over ?12m from last year’s table topping ?17.3m while another Real Madrid galactico, Ronaldo, comes in third.

Showing that English players still get as much attention at home as they do in Spain, Wayne Rooney comes in fourth with an estimated annual income of around ?11.2m from his Manchester United salary and endorsement deals. Not bad going for a player barely in his twenties and a nice sideline after lifting the PFA Young Player of the Year Award this week.

Top earning coaches, unsurprisingly, all look up to Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho on ?7.56m a year and current England coach Sven Goran Eriksson on ?4.78m.

Hands up who doesn’t begrudge them a penny of it.

Yeah, I thought so.

Just when building contractors Multiplex think that things can’t get any worse in the new Wembley Stadium development, a steel beam in the new roof collapses while being welded resulting in 3500 workers being sent home for the day amid safety concerns.

The roof support beam, measuring 50 metres long by 2 metres wide, was being welded into the roof at the north end of the stadium when it fell and workers all over the development were alerted by an “enormous bang”. Despite some workers being in the area where the support fell there were thankfully no casualties and structural engineers are on site now trying to rectify the problem.

The new Wembley Stadium development has encountered nothing but problems since it began and it’s opening date was recently put back again meaning this season’s FA Cup Final will once again have to travel to it’s temporary home at Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium.

Costs for the planned showpiece stadium of English football have spiralled over the duration of it’s construction to over an estimated ?750 million and the professional reputation of the builders Multiplex has taken a severe dent in light of the continued problems.

The GMB union which includes construction workers in it’s members has already called for a full scale investigation into today’s latest accident.

Europe’s top clubs have had a draft report leaked which contains details of plans to try and ensure that the 18 clubs which comprise G14 are ensured entry into the Champion’s League every season, effectively creating an artifical European Superleague.

While G14 general manager Thomas Kurth denies that the group plans to ring fence the Champion’s League in any way it is impossible to view their controversial plans as anything other than an attempt by the richest clubs to secure their own interests at the expense of traditional democratic qualification methods and cup structures.

UEFA have reacted angrily to the leaked report claiming that it would make football as predictable as professional wrestling but in this day and age of the same teams qualifying virtually every season for the Champion’s League and then reinforcing their position with the money they earn by qualifying, it has become somewhat of a closed shop anyway.

UEFA are obviously worried that the G14 will attempt to usurp some of their power and control over the game but by conceding ground to them since the inception of the Champion’s League and pandering to the wishes and financial greed of the richest clubs they have made a rod for their own back while at the same time managing to devalue virtually every cup and league competition in Europe.

The race for more and more money at the expense of the ideals of sporting play and the love of football have tarnished what should have been a golden age for European football but has instead turned into a grubby, murky world of money chasing and lessened values amongst clubs, players and fans.

Maybe a permanent European Superleague between the 18 members of G14 would take this high end, materilaistic value out of the game and while the rich compete to get richer in their own private league, they could let the rest of football try to reclaim the values and level of competition it once held before the money became the prize and not the trophy.

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens has been appointed as head of the Premier League’s independent bung inquiry.

Stevens will be investigating allegations of irregular payments in transfer deals since 1 January 2004 and will spend around six months in the position as chair of the independent inquiry.

“I will personally overview the inquiry and ensure that it meets the highest standards of investigation and evidence gathering,” said Lord Stevens.

Quest, the organisation headed by Lord Stevens, will handle the inquiry.

Speaking at a news conference, he went on: “It is our intention to interview all those involved in the transfer process and to examine all transfers during the period.

“In addition, a number will be subjected to a more detailed investigation criteria set by myself.

“I am conscious that there have been persistent allegations in the press, and I would be grateful if those responsible for the articles would provide to my team any supporting evidence or leads that they might have.

“As with all investigations, I shall go where the evidence leads. I can assure both the Premier League and you, that Quest, will not be distracted or diverted from whether or not irregularities exist, and if there is evidence of wrongdoing it shall be highlighted.”

The Premier League have reiterated their hardline stance on any wrongdoing with chief executive Richard Scudamore vowing to enforce heavy penalties,

“We are charged with administering the rule book. If there are breaches of the rules we will deal with it,” said Mr. Scudamore.

“It is a serious inquiry. The absolute bottom line is that the Premier League and its clubs want to know what is going on.

“We will get to the bottom of what is going on.”

Some interesting results as usual from the Deloitte Football Money League as last season’s top earners Manchester United fall behind Spanish giants Real Madrid as the highest earning club in world football.

Chelsea also slip to 5th overall from 4th last year with an annual turnover for the 2004/2005 season of ?149.1m, a figure put into context when it is considered that they posted a ?140m loss for that period.

On a country by country basis, English clubs lead the way with 8 of the top 20 earners, 5 Italian clubs, 3 Spanish, 2 German and one each from France and Scotland.

Deloitte Football Money League ? 2004/05 season (UK ? Sterling and Euro ?)

Source: Deloitte Football Money League