The gulf between rich and poor clubs has never been greater. The amount of money circulating in the game has never been greater. The amount of players instantly becoming multi millionaires and buying fast cars and large mansions have never been greater. However, more sadly, the amount of clubs, especially ones with a lot of prestige and history behind them, going under have never been greater.

The large increase in players’ wages has led to many clubs struggling to remain competitive. Wages have increased so much that the average footballer is now a millionaire and figures among the richest earners in sport worldwide.

An increase in players’ wages effectively means that clubs have to pay more to keep their best players and/or to attract new players. A lot of clubs are not able to afford such wages and have to make the tough decision of borrowing extra funds to remain competitive. Competitiveness is even more vital when a club can get relegated at the end of the season.

The question remains, can this wage spiral be controlled so that it no longer harms the smaller clubs? The answer is yes, and in football it’s being used in just 2 countries in the world: the USA and Australia. Both Major League Soccer and A-League used what is known as a salary cap, which is a limit as to how much a club can spend on players’ wages on a yearly basis.

The main advantage of such a system is that it ensures that each team is competitive despite their revenue and profits. It ensures parity and equity for the players and keeps the fans on the edge of their seats when it comes to challenging for the title as no one is shoo-in.

The major drawback of a salary is that it will potentially not make it any easier for clubs to retain their best players or recruit new talent. A salary cap in one country would give an advantage to those clubs in countries where there is no salary cap. A salary cap has the potential of actually increasing the wealth divide between the richest and poorest clubs.

Nevertheless, I still encourage FIFA and other political bodies to consider the use of the salary cap worldwide. I would rather see talent moving to different leagues rather than see clubs fall and disappear forever.