Rasmus Kristensen, a Leeds United defender, has admitted that he sometimes feels humiliated about his Elland Road salary in comparison to those who, he believes, serve a bigger social purpose than football players.
After spending the 2023/24 season on loan at Italian giants AS Roma, the international full-back is now in Germany for the European Championships with Denmark, where he has qualified for the Round of 16.
Kristensen was one of several Leeds players who used a loan release clause in his Elland Road contract following the club’s relegation from the Premier League last May, allowing the 26-year-old to spend the following season in Serie A while avoiding a mandatory wage cut that was also written into players’ Leeds contracts in the event of relegation.
The Dane’s club future is now in limbo, with a loan return to Roma being a possibility but far from certain. Kristensen played 31 games for the Giallorossi last season, but with the arrival of new sporting director Florian Ghisolfi, it is unclear whether he will be as sought after as under the previous regime.
Kristensen’s club conundrum could be solved by returning to parent club Leeds, but that would entail representing the club in the Championship, which would certainly damage his selection for the national squad. Kristensen has yet to play in Euro 2024, having been forced to sit on Kasper Hjulmand’s substitutes bench for all three group stage matches this summer.
In a recent interview with Danish broadcaster TV Midtvest, Kristensen remarked of his Elland Road pay, “It is not up to me to decide how much money I get. When I am offered a contract, I just say, “Yes, thank you.” But it’s insane how much money there is in football.
“I might be embarrassed about how much we earn as footballers. “I’m actually ashamed sometimes.”
Kristensen joined at Elland Road from FC Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2022 and is regarded to be one of Leeds’ highest earners due to his loan exit and full salary coverage by Roma, which means he did not get a post-relegation wage cut, unlike much of the remaining team.
Kristensen also believes that people in more mainstream professions should be paid more than football players, given their relative societal influence.
“I don’t really do anything important, and it’s hard to say what I actually contribute to society,” the woman, 26, explained. “The only reason I support us generating so much money is that football means a lot to a lot of people. And in Italy, football is virtually equal to religion.”
Following Denmark’s participation in Euro 2024, Kristensen will meet with the Elland Road hierarchy to determine where he will play his football in 2024/25. Brenden Aaronson, a fellow loan clause escapee, has already committed to Leeds for the coming season, while Marc Roca has agreed to a permanent transfer to Real Betis, where he was on loan last season. Jack Harrison has also been loaned out to Everton for another season.
