Revealed: How Much it Costs a Euro 2012 Star to Insure Himself

LONDON, May 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Football is an expensive business... But how much does it cost to insure some of football's injury-prone stars?

With Euro 2012 on the horizon, many of the game's biggest stars are fighting to be fit in time for the competition. But with every fresh injury, footballers are seeing a rise in their life insurance quotes and critical illness cover (CIC). Luckily, some of them are on fairly decent salaries, and can probably cover the financial burden.

Take Bastian Schweinsteiger for example. The Bayern Munich midfield general has suffered an injury-disrupted season, and hasn't been able to shine for club and country this term. But Schweinsteiger still pockets a rather handsome £115,000 per week, despite missing about 10 weeks of the season with a broken collarbone and ankle ligament damage.

As a result, Bastian has seen the price of his CIC soar to £375,000, while he is also shelling out a further £1263.29 p.a. in life cover.

Another top European footballer who has suffered an injury jinx this season is David Villa. The Barcelona striker suffered a broken leg in December while playing in the Club World Cup semi-final against Al Sadd, and is facing a struggle to be fit for the European Championships.

Villa is currently 31 years old, and would be expected to fork out £750,000 for CIC and a total of £3 million for life cover. But the Spanish international isn't worried, as his £135,000 weekly wage may be able to cover the cost.

Another player who has probably seen the cost of his insurance premiums rise is Arsenal ace Jack Wilshere. The midfielder suffered a season ending injury in a summer friendly against the New York Red Bulls, and will miss the Euro 2012 Championships. If he was fit, he may have been on the plane to Poland and Ukraine.

Wilshere earns a relatively modest £50,000 a week, but would need to invest about £500,000 in CIC. His life cover would also set him back a further £1,631.46 per year, but at the age of 20, he's probably not making any funeral plans or taking out life insurance yet!

On the subject of talented players missing the European Championships, Italy international Giuseppe Rossi has also endured an injury plagued season. The striker suffered knee ligament damage in October while playing for his club Villarreal, and has been unable to find full fitness since.

The former Manchester United striker has still earned a cool £90,000 a week despite his injury, but has seen the cost of his CIC rise to £625,000.  

Finally, for all of those looking forward to the European Championships, but are nervous about watching England play their difficult group games against Ukraine, Sweden, and France, it may be advisable to take out some life insurance. We all know how stressful watching the national side may be, and this summer will be no different!  

[Disclaimer: All price quotations are indicative only]

SOURCE Legal & General Protection