SPAIN DANGLES 600,000 EURO BONUS ON PLAYERS

AS reported by Marca, the 600,000 euro that would be awarded to each Spanish player should Spain win this World Cup has drawn controversy from a variety of corners, as it is the highest bonus to be promised to any of the 32 teams taking part in the tourney.

Only Argentina and England's bonuses come close to Spain's 600,000 euro figure. The Albiceleste would earn 510,000 euro per player upon winning, while English players would receive 475,000 euro. In the case that Italy should win the World Cup, the Italian players would earn less than half of what the Spanish players have at stake – 240,000 euro. Brazil would earn even less – 180,000 euro.

Other squads of note are France, which will take 390,000 euro per player while German players will receive 250,000 euro in the case of a World Cup win (though in the case of the Germans, it has been reported that a large number of such money would be donated to the Robert Enke Foundation).

If Spain reaches the quarter-finals of the tournament, each player will earn 60,000 euro, reaching the semi-finals earns 90,000 euro per player, while reaching the final earns 120,000 euro. Spain is tipped by the Castrol Success Predictor to have a 17 per cent chance of winning the World Cup in South Africa.

Critics of such lavish awards have sparked controversy by protesting the Spanish Government's decision to dish out so much money to the team, arguing that it does not reflect the fact that Spain is going through its worst economic crisis in recent memory.

However, according to the Spanish Football Federation, only six per cent of the funds come from the state – the rest comes from the national team's corporate sponsors. A large amount of the financial awards has also been set aside to be distributed among a host of NGOs and benefit foundations.

Some of the money is further set to stay within the borders of South Africa, to be spent on children and the prevention and treatment of malaria.