Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News And Sport
Barcelona players are reportedly willing to accept a 30-percent wage cut after rejecting the initial offer of a 70-percent reduction in the coronavirus crisis.
Spanish radio station RAC1 report the players are willing to accept a 30-percent cut after reports stated they were “unconvinced” of the club directors’ initial proposal of cutting player salaries by 70 percent.
The wage cuts are due to the club’s current financial losses as Spanish and European football remain on pause due to the coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.
The initial proposal was set to last as long as the Spanish lockdown which is expected to last until halfway through April, at least.
According to reports, players would be willing to accept a 30-percent wage cut for the remainder of the season regardless of when the state of alarm ends in the country, seemingly to soften the blow.
The cuts would reduce the salaries of all players by the same percentage, regardless of which sport they play or the amount of money they are paid.
Though Barcelona’s football club is among the largest in the world, the club also participates in professional competitions of basketball, handball, hockey and indoor football as local media report there are concerns for players of the less financially-rewarding sports.
Spanish journalist Jota Jordi spoke with popular sports television programme ‘El Chiringuito de Jugones’ broadcast by ‘La Sexta’ yesterday (Wednesday) and said: “The anger is monumental in all of the sections in Barca” among players who “consider 70 percent” wage cuts are “crazy”.
Jordi went on to say club directors “contacted all the captains of all the section of the club and communicated that Barcelona does not have money. That they can only pay 30 percent of their salary. A 70-percent reduction.”
It is unclear if Barcelona plan to accept the player’s offer.
Spain has been one of the hardest-hit countries by COVID-19 with a reported 56,188 cases of the virus leading to 4,089 deaths.
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