Commenting on this issue, some footballers said it was futile to try to fix a ceiling for the salaries of professional football players because what was usually written in the contract was a far cry from what was actually paid to the player!

With my innate stupidity, I immediately started to compare between the soccer players and the thousands of our youth who, though holding higher education certificates, are still suffering from unemployment.

Some of these certificate holders work day and night in the private sector on monthly salaries not exceeding SR1,500. They do not have other allowances, health care or social insurance.

Some of the professional soccer players do not have any educational qualifications. If they’re lucky, they may be holding an elementary school certificate granted to him by the owner of a school who is also an honorary member of his club.

I hope I am not sounding envious, but these players receive millions of riyals as a pre-contract bonus. This, of course, is apart from the monthly salaries, the incentives after each win and gifts, including luxurious cars and others. They are treated in the best of hospitals.

They sleep the whole day, wake up in the evening to kick a ball and spend the rest of the night enjoying themselves until the wee hours of the morning.

There is, however, a problem. The salaries of these players have gone too high, depleting the budgets of football clubs. No doubt, I have made a comparison between the salaries of professional soccer players and those of poor government employees that have been stagnant for many years.

My sick imagination drove me to compare between the head and the foot. Which is more useful? Which leads the other?

Is it better for our youth to have their heads between their legs or to have their legs between their ears? I cannot find an answer.

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