Premier League clubs, players in row over pay cut
LONDON:ENGLISH Premier League players rejected on Saturday a plan by clubs to take 30 % pay cuts during the Covid-19 pandemic, escalating a public row as their union claimed the government would lose out on more than £200 million (approx $245 mn) in tax. “This would be detrimental to our NHS (National Health Service) and other government-funded services,” the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) said in a statement.
PFA’S stance raises the prospect of a damaging public wrangle over the salaries of some of the best paid footballers in the world when Britain is facing a major public health crisis.
The union’s apparent reluctance to endorse player wage reductions emerged after PL leaders and European champions Liverpool joined other clubs in announcing they had furloughed some of their non-playing staff.
Liverpool, which leads the suspended league by 25 points, followed Spurs, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Norwich in furloughing staff. Under a job retention scheme implemented by Britain to help businesses survive the national lockdown, staff can be put on furlough and receive 80% of their salaries from the government, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.
Liverpool said it would top up salaries to ensure staff still received the full amount but that still means using public funds to pay some staff. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called the move “poor”, saying “respect and goodwill is lost” by the club. Liverpool made a pre-tax profit of £42 million on a turnover of £533 million last year.
Man City said on Sunday the PL champions will not seek to use the government job retention scheme and furlough staff. “We can confirm… that Manchester
City will not be utilising the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme,” a spokesperson said.
PFA said the £20 million PL was giving to NHS was “welcome, but we believe it could be far bigger.” Its statement said: “The players are mindful that ... the combined tax on their salaries is a significant contribution to funding essential public services— which are especially critical at this time. Taking a 30% salary deduction will cost the exchequer substantial sums.”
If the season—suspended since March 13 and any resumption depending on the government’s health advisory—cannot be completed, PL could owe broadcasters a reported £762 million. Reducing pay by 30% over a year equated to £500 million, PFA said.
ROONEY WEIGHS IN
Former England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney criticised the government and the Premier League for placing footballers in a “no-win situation”. Rooney, now playing with Championship side Derby, said in a column in the Sunday Times his fellow professionals were “easy targets”. “I’m in a place where I could give something up. Not every footballer is in the same position. Yet suddenly the whole profession has been put on the spot with a demand for 30% pay cuts across the board. Why are footballers suddenly the scapegoats? How the past few days have played out is a disgrace.”
Fifa is gearing up to deal with complaints and appeals over wage cuts for players, producing guidelines for clubs and football bodies looking to cut costs, Reuters reported. The issue of pay cuts for players has become a major controversy in England while in other countries, such as Germany and Spain, players have accepted temporary wage cuts. Fifa’s guidelines urge cuts to be “proportionate”.