CASH-STRAPPED Valencia have been forced to give their stars IOU notes because they can’t afford to pay their players, according to reports.
The struggling LaLiga side have seen their finances devasted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Valencia’s players have not been paid, according to reportsCredit: EPA
They have already been forced to sell star players Francis Coquelin and Dani Parejo for bargain fees – causing widespread anger among supporters.
Both players joined league rivals Villarreal for a combined fee in the region of £12million to ensure they are off the wage bill.
But the problems appear a lot more serious than first feared following Marca’s latest revelation.
They write how the players were forced to forgo their latest pay packets and were left angered when they were instead given IOU’s with an expiry date of September 2021.
The club reportedly attempted to reassure the players that it was down to an administrative error and they will be paid by the end of next month.
However, president Anil Murthy failed to show up to a team meeting on Monday which was arranged to share the financial predicament with the players causing further frustration among the ranks.
It was revealed the club have been forced to put every single player except Jose Gaya on the transfer list in a desperate bid to raise funds.
Valencia also sold promising youngster Ferran Torres, believed to be one of the brightest hopes in Spanish football, to Manchester City earlier this month for a bargain £20.8m.
Owner Peter Lim has recently received criticism from the city’s vice mayor for failing to fund the construction of the club’s unfinished Nou Mestalla stadium.
Work began in 2007 but was halted in 2009 due to Spain’s economic crisis.
The club only appointed former Watford boss Javi Gracia last month ahead of the upcoming campaign.
And he has been forced to hold showdown talks with his players, asking them to put off-field woes behind them and motivate them for the new season.
Valencia ‘put ENTIRE squad up for sale except Jose Gaya’ in desperate bid to raise cash as coronavirus ravages finance
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
