Rafa Marquez Makes $4.6 Million Playing for the NY Red Bulls

Rafa Marquez made 163 appearances for Barcelona and he’s made 108 appearances for the Mexican national team. There’s no question he can play the game. There’s no question that he can pass the ball and play those lovely long diagonal balls.

However, he hasn’t shown the level of professionalism or respect for the MLS that it deserves. And the guy is making $4.6 million kicking a ball around and living in the best city in the world, New York. It’s a joke when you think about it.

There are guys, very good players, like the Seattle Sounders Mauro Rosales for example, who’s making $41,000 a year. It’s a disgrace.

To me, I just don’t know how or why the Red Bulls agreed to such a huge salary. To say they over paid is a huge understatement. And then Marquez calls out one of his own young players, Tim Ream, and says the team in general isn’t up to his standard of play or ability.

“I’m focusing on really performance at my highest level. That doesn’t mean that the whole back line can perform at that same level, so that’s a problem,” Márquez told reporters through an interpreter, adding:

“I think this is a team game, and unfortunately there isn’t an equal level between my teammates and I.”

That wasn’t all though, there was this display versus Toronto, his first game back after being suspended for the above comments. A man making that much money can’t lose the ball and then not hustle back to try and win the ball.