UK health secretary Matt Hancock said Premier League footballers should take a pay cut and play their part during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
“Given the sacrifices many people are making, the first thing PL footballers can do is make a contribution,” he said at the daily government briefing.<\/p>\n
Even the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) said players will have to share the financial burden.<\/p>\n
“We are aware of the public sentiment that the players should pay non-playing staff’s salaries. However, our current position is that – as businesses – if clubs can afford to pay their players and staff, they should.<\/p>\n
“The players we have spoken to recognise that the non-playing staff are a vital part of their club and they do not want to see club staff furloughed unfairly.<\/p>\n
“Any use of the government’s support schemes without genuine financial need is detrimental to the wider society.<\/p>\n
“In instances where clubs have the resources to pay all staff, the benefit of players paying non-playing staff salaries will only serve the business of the club’s shareholders.<\/p>\n
“We fully accept that players will have to be flexible and share the financial burden of the Covid-19 outbreak in order to secure the long-term future of their own club and indeed the wider game.<\/p>\n
“Our advice going out to players at this point reflects that expectation.”<\/p>\n
Julian Knight, a chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee has been asking Premier League chief executive Richard Masters calling for action on player wages, saying clubs which furlough non-playing staff but do not impose cuts on player wages should be subjected to a windfall tax if they do not change approach.<\/p>\n
“The purpose of the coronavirus job retention scheme is not to support the economics of Premier League clubs.<\/p>\n
Tottenham,\u00a0Newcastle,\u00a0Bournemouth\u00a0and\u00a0Norwich\u00a0have opted to utilise the government’s job retention scheme.<\/p>\n
Players, coaches and executive staff at Norwich have donated \u00a3200,000, made up of a percentage of their salaries, to help local people affected by the pandemic.<\/p>\n
In Europe,\u00a0Barcelona and Atletico Madrid players have taken a 70% pay cut, while Juventus players and manager Maurizio Sarri have agreed to\u00a0freeze their pay for four months.<\/p>\n
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe became the first Premier League boss to take a voluntary pay cut.<\/p>\n
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber, technical director Dan Ashworth and head coach Graham Potter have each taken a “significant” voluntary pay cut.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"