The FIFA World Cup is always an assemblage of millionaire footballers because many of them are millionaires.
If you aggregate the millianaires in some of the teams, the amount can write off the external debts of some countries.The 20th.edition of the World Cup in Brazil was not an exception.
The quadrennial global football festival glittered with millionaires even multi
millionaires.Before the World Cup in Brazil Cristiano Ronaldo was worth
$250m,Lionel Messi $180m,Wayne Rooney $125m,Philip Lamm $100m
Didier Drogba $90m ,Andres Iniesta
$85m,Arjen Robben $80m,Samuel
Eto'O $75m,Yaya Toure $70m,Neymer dos Santos $60m.The list is endless !!
But an individual added another great dimension to the FIFA World Cup .He is now not only a trail blazer but also a role model, showcasing humility and deep passion for refereeing in football
One of the 25 referees who officiated during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was, and still a Millionaire..Jonas Eriksson born on
March 28, 1974 in Lulea, Sweden is a multi-millionaire full time referee and salesman. Jonas Eriksson began his refereeing career quite early at the age of 20 in 1994. At the age of 28 in 2002, he became a full time international FIFA referee. Jonas Eriksson made his millions after selling his 15% shares sports media company.
The ex-journslist who is based in Stockholm Sweden has offices around Europe as well as in the Middle East, Asia and Oceania.
But despite his wealth and hectic schedule, nothing has changed his first love. Like all the other referees who officiated during the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil,
Jonas Eriksson was selected from an extremely small group of candidates who passed a series of equally extreme physical and intellectual challenges.
These tests are important because a World Cup referee will run constantly for 90minutes straight in a match minus half time.The average referee ends up running roughly 12miles (about 18km) in a World Cup match.
Before the World Cup, Jonas Eriksson had officiated 112 international matches, issued 332yellow cards that is, 3.16 per game, issued 16 red cards, an average of 0.18 per match and awarded 16 penalties (0.18 per match). He had officiated over 300 matches in Sweden.
In August 2013, he was the centre referee in the final of the 2013 UEFA Super Cup between Chelsea of England and Bayern Munich of Germany.
During the 2014 World Cup, Jonas Eriksson was in charge of the group G match between USA and Ghana which ended 2-1 in favour of the Jurgen Klinsmann coached USA team in the beautiful Estadio das Dunas Natal on June 16. He was also at the helm of affairs when Brazil flattered, shattered and battered Cameroon 4-1 in a group A match played inside the main bowl of the grand architecturally designed Estadio Nacional Brasilia on 23 June.
Jonas Eriksson handled the round of 16 game between Argentina and Switzerland which ended 1-0 in favour of Argentina with the goal scored by Angel Di Maria in the 118th minute of extra time in the great encounter played at the Arena de Sao Paulo on 1st.July. Jonas Eriksson was fourth official in the quarter final match between Germany and France which ended 1-0 in favour of Germany and in the semi final match between Argentina and the Netherlands which ended 4-2 on penalty kicks after a barren draw at full and extra time.
Being a referee is a tough job in any sport but especially in football where the disrespectful players, the hugely temperamental and combative ones, partisan spectators and over whelming media attention makes one wonder what sort of person -- a multi millionaire take up such a thankless job. A love for the sport is prerequisite, but in the case of Jonas Eriksson you have to know much he must love football given that he is an independent multi-millionaire businessman.
It is true that many referees take football refereeing as a hobby but it is
rare for one to have such a man with notable private life. While many would retire with that sort of windfall, Jonas Eriksson decided to change his career commenting that "I ve had a fantastic life as a businessman but since 2011, I have dedicated myself to being a professional referee and I am having the best time of my life".
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