The coronavirus has forced businesses around the world to close their doors, employees to be furloughed, and football matches to be suspended. No one is safe from the financial impact of this health crisis.
In an effort to try and soften some of the damage caused by the stoppage of play, representatives from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs and the players agreed this week on a temporary pay cut during the month of April as reported by the AFP.
“We approved the recommendation this morning,” National Union of Professional Footballers president Philippe Piat told AFP. “The idea is that the players defer a part of their wages to allow clubs to cope,” during what he called a “dramatic health situation.”
The joint “recommendation” between the clubs and players essentially means that the players will accept less money than they’re contracted to receive with the plan to be paid in full once the money from television rights is paid.
As we previously covered, both Canal Plus and beIN Sports are withholding substantial payments because of the lack of games to show. They’re well within their rights to do so but obviously, the lack of revenue is not something French clubs planned for this season.
According to the report from AFP, the pay cuts will be determined on a sliding scale starting at 20 percent. Those players who earn more than €100,000 monthly, which includes several Paris Saint-Germain players, will be hit with the biggest reduction of 50 percent. On the opposite end of the spectrum, those who earn less than €10,000 per month will not be affected.
While the agreement was made by all those affected, the decision to cut wages cannot be legally enforced per French labor laws. However, Piat believes that won’t be an issue as the implications of not cutting player wages would lead to layoffs at clubs around France.
“We advise [the players] to accept it because it is a question of saving jobs. Without this temporary effort, the profession would suffer.”
This seems like the most sensible resolution considering the circumstances. Several clubs, including Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille, have already reduced player salaries by 30 percent and with the threat of bankruptcy, every option must be on the table until the games can resume.
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