Pay, family and unemployment, Carioca census profiles small-club players | OneFootball

A census of small-club footballers in the Rio state top flight highlights modest earnings, wage delays and job insecurity. Of 116 respondents, 47.4% said they had experienced late pay in the past five years, and 39.4% reported unemployment spells of at least three months.

According to Globo.com, the survey covered players from eight Campeonato Carioca sides, Bangu, Boavista, Madureira, Maricá, Nova Iguaçu, Portuguesa, Sampaio Corrêa and Volta Redonda, with all responses collected anonymously.

On pay, 43.8% said they earn up to R$ 8,000 at these clubs. A further 56.3% reported salaries above five minimum wages, meaning more than R$ 8,100, while 12.5% receive one minimum wage, R$ 1,621, and 31.3% fall between one and five, up to R$ 8,100.

Family status skewed towards fathers, 38.3%, and single players without children, 40%, making up the majority among those who represented these teams.

Most players, 93%, said they have no other job while playing professionally. The remaining 7% cited side work in real estate, property brokerage, transport entrepreneurship or as Uber drivers, and 15% reported approaches from bettors to fix matches.

Source: Globo.com