Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis Receives 24% Pay Rise

Reports have revealed that Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis earned a lucrative  £2.1 million last year, a 24% increase on the previous year.

Several British newspapers have suggested that Gazidis collected a £1.366 million basic salary, with a bonus of £675,000, benefits of £9,000 and pension contributions of £100,000 in 2011-12, swelling his pay packet by 24% on the previous year.

Reports suggest Gazidis’ huge income places him in the upper echelons of income for Premier League chief executives, with only Ferran Soriano, his opposite number at big-spending Manchester City, believed to have been paid a bigger salary last year.

His success in moulding a prudent and profitable business model is clearly appreciated by his employers, but a survey carried out by the influential Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST) suggests that admiration has not filtered down to the fans who help to pay his wages.

Some three-quarters of AST members said they were “not satisfied” with the club’s long-term vision, with 72% calling for the return of former chief executive David Dein to the Arsenal board.