U.S. soccer coach Bob Bradley made $499,025 last year, according to official tax filings. The previous year, Bradley made $475,000, so he got a 5 percent raise.
In context, the coach’s salary is a far cry from other national team henchmen. England’s Fabio Capello makes an average of $9 million plus per year. Regular gun-for-hire Dutchman Guus Hiddink makes $7.3 million, most recently with Russia. While Marcelo Lippi, Italy’s head coach, makes just under $4 million.
If Bradley’s salary isn’t indicative of how unpopular soccer remains in America, especially for a country with the highest per capita income in the world, I don’t know what is.