SoundAndFury
Registered User
- May 28, 2012
- 11,646
- 5,590
There's hundreds of places like that in any city, but the point is he's a "pro" player making decent cash, not impoverished and playing in the streets. Is this the best someone making good money can get in Kazakhstan? Obviously a pro player in Kiev will be able to afford a nice apartment.
He's only a pro and is only making decent cash because he plays in Kazakhstan. He probably couldn't stay pro anywhere else. So he's not that far from "playing in the streets".
And no, pro in Kiev can't afford a nice (by your standards) apartment. I know Arturas Katulis personally, he played for Berkut for two seasons and lived in a place just like that. Sure, he could've probably afforded a better place but you have to think about the future, have savings, the life of a hockey player at that level isn't the most predictable one. You are not getting payed for the full year, you don't know if you'll have a job next season and how much will you get paid, you might get injured. These guys aren't stars or millionaires. They struggle through life as much as the next guy only that their trade is playing hockey. And in a situation like that you don't want to overspent on luxury. Most guys just takes those apartments and are happy it's one more thing they are taken care off.
I think it's worth pointing out these are free apartments, my employer does the same for me here in Russia. If any player is unsatisfied with their accommodation they can rent an apartment themselves. If he is making decent cash he can get his own apartment.
This is exactly right. Except that very few of them are actually making decent cash.