Question

Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Model Answer

Recently, many footballers have received lucrative contracts to play in the Saudi Arabian league. The eye-watering amounts of money involved have led people to ask whether the money is deserved. Personally, I do not have a problem with athletes making a lot of money because their salaries are determined by market forces.

Many people believe that in a fair world, the more useful a job is to society, the higher its salary should be. For example, nurses deserve to be well-paid because they provide an essential service to society. As it stands, however, this and many similar jobs are relatively poorly paid. For instance, some public service workers earn in a lifetime what a sports star makes in a month. Is this fair? Arguably not when you consider these jobs also involve difficult working conditions. Many key workers work long hours at night and risk being physically assaulted.

The other side of the argument is that although they perform a valuable service, firefighters or nurses do not need to be especially talented. In contrast, sports stars often possess unique gifts, and so there is fierce competition for their services. Another reason athletes command such high salaries is that they generate a lot of revenue for their employers. For example, a famous footballer can increase their club's revenue via higher ticket sales and generous sponsorships. It seems fair that the player receives a proportion of this income.

In conclusion, I believe that athletes' salaries are justified by the amount of money they earn for their employers. Other professions might deserve better pay, but this is a separate issue.

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