THE highest paid director of the company that owns Southampton Football Club was paid just under £600,000 in the year ending June 30, 2010.

The accounts of DMWSL 613 Limited say there were only two directors of the company during that time – Markus Liebherr from July 7, 2009 and Nicola Cortese, pictured, from 15 December, 2009.

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It has always been assumed that Liebherr was not drawing any money from the company.

If that was the case, it would suggest the payments are Cortese’s salary.

The figures show the highest paid director of the company – which had a turnover of £14.818m and also oversees a few other businesses connected with the football club – earned £599,793.

If that was Cortese, the question remains whether that was his yearly pay or for the six-month period of December 15, 2009 - June 30, 2010, which would be an annual salary of over £1m.