Messi, Mourinho named highest paid player, coach

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is the best-paid coach in world football, according to a new list released on Tuesday.

French weekly sports publication France Football have published their annual rich list, which shows Mourinho is now out-earning his coaching nemesis, Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola – who has the second-largest coaching salary in the world game.

The Blues boss – who earns a cool €17m a year – had suggested he took a pay cut to return to Stamford Bridge last summer, but that assertion has been dashed by the latest index.

Arsene Wenger is the next best-paid Premier League boss, receiving little over half that of Mourinho, while former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is enjoying a bumper pay day at Galatasaray, having left the Etihad last summer.

Mancini squeezes into the top three, edging ahead of Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti on €14m a year.

Despite receiving a  €1.5m pay rise after quitting Paris Saint-Germain for the Bernabeu, Ancelotti  - who was on the podium in last year’s annual list – slipped to fourth, ahead of Russia coach Fabio Capello and Guangzhou Evergrande manager Marcello Lippi.

Meanwhile,Lionel Messi has been named as the highest-earning player ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Neymar is the only other current La Liga player in the top 10, coming in at third.

Messi leads the way with earnings of €41m, slightly ahead of Ronaldo’s €39.5m. Neymar is some way behind on €29m.

There are players with Spanish connections elsewhere in the top 10, including former Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, who comes in sixth, on €21.2m, a place behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, ex of Barcelona, on €23.5m.

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s former Atletico forward, is behind Falcao on €19.7m, while Fernando Torres is in 11th place with €16.2m.