'Spain stars offered €720k bonuses'
The players and technical staff of the Spanish national side are to be handed bonuses totalling 720,000 euros apiece if La Roja retain the World Cup this summer, AS.com reports.
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It represents a 20 percent increase on the successful campaign in South Africa in 2010, when the players received 600,000 euros for lifting the trophy. In 2006, when Spain were eliminated by France at the last 16 stage, the incentive on offer had been 540,000 euros.
If Spain make it through the first knockout round this year, the players and staff will receive 72,000 euros, while for a semifinal appearance the bonus will be 180,000 euros and for reaching the final they would receive 360,000 euros each.
The bonus payments were decided last month at a meeting between players and the Spanish Royal Football Federation (RFEF). Representing the players were Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez, with RFEF secretary general Jorge Perez and the director of the national team, Maria Jose Claramunt, also in attendance.
The bonus on offer to Spain's players is the most lucrative of any nation at the World Cup. Brazil, the tournament hosts, will hand out 330,000 euros to their players if they lift the World Cup while Germany's squad would each receive 300,000 euros.
