By Samindra Kunti
September 4 – The Belgian national team’s bonuses have been scaled down ahead of the 2018 World Cup after the Belgian FA, the KBVB, and the players reached a mutual agreement.
On Sunday Belgium secured their place at the finals in Russia after a laboured 1-2 victory away in Greece. Jan Vertonghen and Romelu Lukaku scored to end Greek resistance.
The players of the much fancied Red Devils will now focus on Russia but will take a pay cut of up to 40% if they fail to get out of the knockout stages at the next three major tournaments – Russia 2018, Euro 2020 and Qatar 2022. In the knockout stages they will have to make do with 15% less.
At the 2014 World Cup the Belgian players banked €350,000 each, notwithstanding a relatively disappointing campaign that ended with a quarter-final defeat against Argentina. That bonus still topped the one world champions Germany offered their players.
In France, at Euro 2016, the team recevied €1 million and €1.69 million in the round of sixteen and the quarterfinal, which again marked the end of the Belgian campaign with a defeat to Wales. Those bonuses were considered extravagant back at home and strangled the Belgian FA’s finances.
Since 2013 an agreement between the KBVB and its players ensured the Red Devils got a substantial financial reward: they were entitled to 60% of all the prize money the KBVB received.
That has changed with the new agreement, but if Belgium were to win the World Cup in Russia, the players will still bag a whopping 600,000 each.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714185894labto1714185894ofdlr1714185894owedi1714185894sni@i1714185894tnuk.1714185894ardni1714185894mas1714185894