Earlier this week, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, told league officials via telephone that he would be in favor of lowering player wages during the coronavirus crisis.
According to L’Equipe, PSG hasn’t made an official decision regarding employees and wages but several other Ligue 1 teams who aren’t as financially secure have already made cuts.
The global health crisis has forced leagues around Europe, including Ligue 1, to suspend play and the lack of revenue is going to have a serious impact on football as we know it.
While many focus on how smaller clubs will be affected by the pandemic, clubs like PSG and FC Barcelona are also feeling the pinch. In fact, the Catalan club is considering cutting player wages up to 70 percent during the lockdown.
The report from L’Equipe revealed that PSG’s payroll for employees (including players) in 2018-19 reached €371 million out of a total budget of €637 million.
Personally, I believe that if the club decides to cut wages that they start with the players first. They are the ones who can absorb a reduction in salary while many members of the PSG staff likely cannot.
It’s a difficult situation and while resuming play will bring revenue, the health and safety of the players is paramount.
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