Barca best-paid team in world again

A report conducted by ESPN The Magazine/Sportingintelligence Global Salary Survey has found players at Spanish football club Barcelona to be the best-paid sportsmen in the world for a second successive year. Here are the top five teams for average weekly wages:

Barcelona, $166,934
The Catalans topped up their coffers by signing a shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation for €150 million (Dh724m) in December 2010, allowing them to keep hold of players such as Lionel Messi.

Real Madrid, $149,935

Sponsorship, separate television rights deals and favourable rates from banks make Real among the richest sports teams on the planet, allowing them to pay exorbitant salaries to go with signing the world's most expensive footballers, such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester City, $142,380

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed's significant investment has allowed the club to bring in players of the calibre of Sergio Aguero. The report says the club have paid out "over a billion dollars in players and wages" since Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008.

Chelsea, $130,690

Roman Abramovich, the London club's Russian owner, smashed the British transfer record to sign Fernando Torres from Liverpool in January 2011, paying £50m (Dh297m) for the Spain striker. Champions League qualification is a must if the club are to keep pace with City.

Los Angeles Lakers, $120,732

American sports teams have "much more stability" compared to their European counterparts, said the report. However, the finding also discovered teams like the Los Angeles Lakers actually pay their stars, such as Kobe Bryant, less than the previous year.