Coronavirus: Barcelona Considering Salary Cuts For Players, Coaching Staff

LaLiga giants Barcelona are contemplating a number of salary cuts to both players and coaching staff due to the growing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to reports in Spain.

The Spanish reigning champions have suspended all forms of training and club activities until at least April 4 as part of matches being postponed due to the outbreak of the virus.

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And according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the board of directors at Barcelona held a series of meetings electronically on Friday to assess the developing situation and formulate a plan over the coming weeks in line with the rest of Europe’s elite clubs.

The report claims therefore that one of the options discussed was pay-cuts for players and coaching staff at the club, but no decision on the matter is expected to be announced before the end of next week.

It adds that Barcelona’s players are open to the possibility of seeing their salaries temporarily reduced, but all options remain on the table ahead of a crucial week for the club. 

But any pay-cuts will still impact heavily on the club’s leading stars, such as attacking trident Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez.

Messi’s latest contract is reportedly worth a net £500,000 a week – making him Barcelona and world football’s top earner- while Griezmann is Barcelona’s second-highest earner on £294,000 per week.

Suarez completes the podium after signing a new contract at the end of 2016 worth £290,000, while Ousmane Dembele sits further back on £220,000 per week.

Sergio Busquets and Pique then complete the top six, earning a weekly wage of £180,000 and £165,000 respectively.

The cuts will also come as a more significant blow to Barcelona than any other club after a study carried out by accountancy giants KPMG entitled ‘The Football Benchmark’ in January revealed they became the first club in world football to rack up an annual wage bill of over €500m (£462m).

Their €562m (£519m) wage bill tops the chart by a considerable margin, with Paris Saint-Germain’s €332m (£307m) expenditure on salaries in 2018 next on the list.

La Liga are also expected to make an announcement next week regarding the return of top flight football.

But with football in England now postponed until at least April 30, a potential extension to the suspension of La Liga is increasingly likely.