Politicians, former players and football fans have slammed Premiere League clubs for not implementing pay cuts for their multi-millionaire players.
While the programme sellers and stewards are taking 20 per cent wage cuts and being bailed out by the government, top stars are still earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, and have been urged by the PFA to not accept cuts to their pay.
All this has left a sour taste in the mouths of football fans and even ex-players, who have urged players to do the right thing and end the PR disaster they find themselves embroiled in.
Meanwhile players in other European Leagues like La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A have taken pay cuts, which makes the English clubs look greedy and insensitive at this time.
What’s worse, the Clubs have cut salaries for their non-playing staff, and are using government handouts (taxpayer’s money) to pay the shortfall in wages for non-playing staff.
Said David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, on Twitter:
‘It’s criminal that Premier League footballers haven’t moved more quickly to take pay cuts and deferrals. And completely wrong that taxpayers are now being asked to subsidise cleaners, caterers and security guards at these clubs instead.’
Added Pierce Morgan, “‘It is outrageous for any football club right now to cut salaries of club staff but not the extravagantly paid players too.”
A staggering 92 per cent of the British public think EPL stars should take a pay cut during the Covid-19 crisis, according to a new YouGov Sport survey conducted on March 31st.
Is the English Professional Footballers’ Association Chief Executive, Gordon Taylor, who gets paid GBP 2 million per year, listening?