Oscar (foto: Posnetek zaslona)
Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar says he never spent his salary during eight years in China, choosing instead to live entirely on performance bonuses.
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Former Chelsea and Brazil midfielder Oscar has shared a remarkable story about how he managed the fortune he earned during his eight-year spell in Chinese football.
Speaking on a podcast hosted by former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel, Oscar revealed that he never spent a single payment from his basic salary while playing in China, despite reports that he earned around €175 million during that period.
When Mikel asked whether those figures were accurate, Oscar offered a surprising explanation.
"I transferred my entire salary to a special bank account and never touched it. My family and I lived on the bonuses for winning matches because they were already very high," the Brazilian said.
Oscar also explained why he decided to leave Chelsea in 2017 to join Chinese club Shanghai Port, one of the biggest transfers during the Chinese Super League's spending boom.
"When I saw the offer and the salary, I couldn't sleep for two nights. My wife said to me, 'You could break your leg playing for Chelsea tomorrow.' We come from Brazil and we have a big family, so I accepted the offer," he recalled.
At the time, Oscar became one of the first elite footballers to move from Europe's top leagues to China, where clubs were offering enormous salaries to attract established international stars. The trend has since shifted to Saudi Arabia, where clubs have adopted a similar strategy by signing some of the biggest names in world football on lucrative contracts.
If the reported figures are accurate, Oscar earned approximately €22 million per season over eight years. According to his own account, virtually all of that salary remains untouched, with the family covering their lifestyle entirely through performance-related bonuses.
The revelation quickly went viral on social media, where many supporters praised the former Brazilian international's disciplined approach to managing his wealth. In a sport often associated with extravagant spending, Oscar's financial strategy stands out as one of the most unusual stories shared by a former football star.