Players' agent Stefan Backes has defended the dramatic increase in the salaries average of professional soccer players in Germany, noting that today's players have become part of the entertainment field. Bundesliga players earn between 5.1-2 million euros (6.1-2.2 million dollars) on average during the season. The salaries of coaches and players jumped by nearly 50% over the past years, from 1.05 billion euros to 1.46 billion euros. Bucks said, before the start of the "Bundesliga" competitions next week that this rise is justified. He said, "If Hollywood stars make millions, then footballers can do the same thing. They entertain millions of people around the world. It is no longer what it was before, but it has become part of the entertainment field." Stefan Backes asserted that agents speed up the transfer process but that it was not the system that caused the system, adding that players in lower leagues earn much less than those who play professional football in the country. He stressed, "If you add the second and third degrees, the average salary will be much lower than one million euros."