FC Barcelona players have accepted a 70% pay cut due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and will also contribute to ensure that non-playing staff of the club can continue to receive 100% of their salaries.
Captain and star player Lionel Messi announced the agreement on Instagram.
Since the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has also had its devastating effect on all sporting fixtures across the globe, the Catalan club – as with most football clubs in Spain – had already been looking at cutting costs. Recent reports, however, suggested that the players were unhappy with the proposed reductions in salary.
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‘A lot has been written and said about FC Barcelona first team in regard to the salaries of the players during this period of a state of alarm,’ Messi wrote on Instagram.
‘Before anything, we want to clarify that our will has always been to take a pay cut because we understand perfectly that this is an exceptional situation and we’re always the first ones that have helped the club when asked to do so.’
‘We’ve even done it sometimes off our own back … [when] necessary or important in other times.’
‘On our part, the moment has come to announce that, as well as reducing our salaries by 70% during the state of alarm, we’re going to make some contributions so that all the employees at the club can earn 100% of their wages during this situation.’
‘We don’t want to sign off without sending our best wishes and lots of strength to all Barcelona fans who are going through such hard times, as well as those who are waiting patiently at home for the end of this crisis. We’re going to get out of this very soon and we’ll do it all together.’
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