Barcelona to force 70 percent pay cut on players after deadlock

Barcelona first team players look set to lose 70 percent of their income due to the coronavirus outbreak and the suspension of Spanish football.

A report in Cadena Cope reveals how the club are set to trigger an ERTE – meaning that all of its players will lose the majority of their income due to exceptional circumstances under Spain’s current state of emergency.

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ℹ️ Given the healthcare situation and according to the recommendations of the Club's medical staff, the first team has suspended all activity until further notice. ℹ️ Ante la situación sanitaria y atendiendo a las recomendaciones de los responsables médicos del Club, el primer equipo de fútbol suspende toda su actividad hasta nueva orden. ℹ️ Davant la situació sanitària i atenent a les recomanacions dels responsables mèdics del Club, el primer equip de futbol suspèn tota la seva l’activitat fins a nova ordre.

A post shared by FC Barcelona (from 🏠) (@fcbarcelona) on Mar 13, 2020 at 6:02am PDT

It continues that whilst the club’s captains have been in discussions with the board of directors over the decision they have not found an agreement, and the club are now willing to push on despite the lack of consensus.

An ERTE is Spain’s temporary redundancy scheme which is activated by the state of emergency within the country, with businesses losing access to their profits.

It follows a report in ESPN that whilst there is said to be openness to a compromise, the players are unhappy with the current proposals being offered.

The wage cut will be applicable to all senior teams at the club, including the women’s football team and the men’s basketball side.

However, the report underlines how the focus is on the men’s senior football team whose combined wage bill is over €500m and is said to be the highest of any professional sports club in the world.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu was thought to have been seeking a compromise for the men’s first team of 50 percent, due to their role in bringing in income to the club ahead of its other teams.

“Force Majeure” .. Barcelona reduces wages for players and employees due to https://t.co/9lTx8EiphM pic.twitter.com/mNeplbTHG7

— Saudi 24 News (@Saudi24N) March 27, 2020

Read Also: Barcelona stars unconvinced by club’s first pay cut proposal

The coronavirus outbreak has brought sport across the world to a halt with Spanish football suspended indefinitely – meaning that all clubs have no income from matchdays or, for the elite clubs, their museums.

As of Thursday, there were 56,188 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Spain with 4,089 deaths while a further 3,679 Spaniards are currently in intensive care.

Spain is now behind only Italy on the global scale for the most deaths due to the virus, with the nation now 11 days into a 30-day state of lockdown.