BARCELONA’S players have joined manager Ronald Koeman in agreeing to take pay-cuts in order to save the club from financial ruin.
On Friday, Koeman agreed to accept a pay-cut on his £10million-a-year wages in order to help save the club from the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Koeman and Barcelona’s players have all agreed to cut their wagesCredit: EPA
Barcelona had seen their debts double over the course of the 2019-20 season due to the lockdown.
The club has recently been hit with a wage cap of £342m – with the club previously allowed to spend up to £601.5m – a drop of 43 per cent.
All season long, Barcelona chiefs have been locked in talks with players, pleading with them to accept a pay-cut for the good of the club.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gerard Pique, Frenkie De Jong and Clement Lenglet all signed new deals earlier this month.
They agreed to a temporary pay-cut of 30 per cent at the time of putting pen to paper.
But the rest of the squad stalled on talks, including £900,000-a-week star Lionel Messi.
Finally progress was made on Friday, with Koeman and his entire coaching staff all agreeing to cuts.
And now his players have followed suit, agreeing to a help save a combined £110m after many stars initially refused to take a cut.
Koeman, his staff and his players have all finally agreed to pay-cutsCredit: Reuters
On top of that monster saving, the club has confirmed they have deferred an additional £45m in variable payments over a three-year period.
A club statement read: “The representatives of the club and the players that make up the negotiation table for Barcelona salary adjustments, aware of the great interest and concern with which all of Barcelona follow the work of this commission, make this joint statement public to inform of the following:
- “Today, the parties have reached an agreement in principle that allows an adjustment to salaries for the current season, for an amount of 122 million euros fixed remuneration, to which is added the deferral for 3 years of variable remuneration from this season, budgeted at an approximate figure of 50 million euros.
- “This principle of agreement is pending ratification in the coming days by the group of players and coaches affected.
- “The agreement, if it is ratified, will be a milestone of great importance to redirect the current economic situation.
- “That both parties recognise the great effort that has had to be made to reach this principle of agreement and congratulate themselves for it.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
