ASTON VILLA stars have generously agreed to defer their wages by 25 per cent for four months due to the financial impact of coronavirus.
All of the Villans’ first-team players, coaching and management staff have agreed to cut a quarter of their pay-packet in order to help keep the club – and non-playing staff – afloat.
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Aston Villa stars have agreed to defer 25 per cent of their wages for four months
Non-playing staff have been kept on and will be paid in full throughout – refusing to take advantage of the Government’s furlough scheme.
A number of clubs were publicly criticised for putting non-playing staff on furlough leave – including Tottenham and Liverpool, who both later reversed their decision after an outcry.
Meanwhile, other clubs have been holding discussions over whether or not to cut their pay – with Arsenal eventually opting to cut their wages by 12.5 per cent, with a series of incentives in place to earn that money back, including qualifying for and winning the Champions League.
Mesut Ozil kicked up a storm by refusing to agree to the cut on his £350,000-a-week pay-packet.
But Aston Villa have generously opted to defer their wages by a monster 25 per cent – while keeping all non-playing staff on full pay.
COMMITTED TO HELPING
In a statement from CEO Christian Purslow, the club announced: “In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic the thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with those families suffering loss and the incredible NHS staff who are risking their own safety to help so many others.
“The club remains fully committed to serving our local communities through the Aston Villa Foundation and we want to help and ensure our people and our resources can be put to use while we are not playing football.
“Consequently we have made all our facilities available to the multi agencies working so hard to protect people during this time of national emergency.
“I am pleased to announce today measures to protect the livelihoods of our precious staff and their families.
“First-team players, first-team coaches and senior management have all agreed to defer 25 per cent of their salaries for four months to assist the club during this period of uncertainty with a further review taking place at the end of this period.
“During the two seasons since Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens rescued Aston Villa they have supported and funded the rebuilding of the Club with a huge level of personal financial investment.
“They are continuing to provide substantial funding which, combined with these significant salary deferrals, enables Aston Villa to confirm that all non-football staff – full and part time – will be retained and paid in full throughout the lockdown.
“There will be no furloughing of staff.
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“Our players and staff feel great solidarity with the many clubs in the football pyramid who have financial problems.
“We believe it is right and proper that the Premier League as a whole takes action on its finances collectively to enable it to be able to continue to provide vital funding throughout the game in England.
“Stay Home, Protect The NHS, Save Lives.”
Aston Villa ‘dummy’ Hepburn Murphy smashes his own window playing risky game of football in back garden
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
