Barcelona in talks to cut player wages by up to 70% during coronavirus lockdown


Barcelona in talks to cut player wages by up to 70% during coronavirus lockdown

WhatsApp Image 2020 03 31 at 11.31.54

Argentine professional footballer Leonel Messi, who plays forward and Captain of Spanish club Barcelona has announced on his social media that he along with his Barcelona team mates agreed to cut off their 70 percent of fees to help the club during the COVID-19 crisis.

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Spanish football league, La Liga has been suspended since March 12 following coronavirus crisis. The tournament still stands indefinitely suspended and it is not known as to when the La Liga will resume, Goal.com reported.

Messi gave a statement on Instagram in Spanish, which translates into: “We fully understand that this is an exceptional situation and we are always the first ones to help the club when asked.”

“Apart from the reduction of 70 per cent from our salary, we will also make contributions so that club employees can collect 100 per cent of their salary while this situation lasts,” he added.

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In the statement, Messi also went on to say that there were some people within the club who were pressurising the players to opt for a pay cut. It does not surprise us that from within the club there were those who tried to put us under pressure to do something we always knew we would do,” Messi said.

“The agreement has been delayed for a few days because we were looking for a formula to help the club and its workers during these difficult times,” he added.

The Barcelona board and players across the club’s other professional sports teams, including most of the basketball team, have also agreed to opt for salary reductions for the duration of Spain’s state of emergency, the club said in a statement. With 58 points in 27 matched Barcelona hold a first place, before La Liga’s season was halted.

Currently total 88000 coronavirus cases and 7716 deaths were reported in Spain.

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