Coronavirus: Barcelona Considering Salary Cuts For Players And Coaching Staff As Wage Bill Hits €562m

Barcelona football club of Spain are considering cutting the salaries of players and coaching staff due to the economic hardship brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s players are open to the possibility of seeing their salaries temporarily reduced after the board of directors at Barcelona held a series of meetings electronically on Friday to assess the developing coronavirus situation and formulate a plan over the coming weeks as the club battles lack of football which would have generated match day income, merchandize and ticket sales.

According to the report, one of the options discussed was pay-cuts for players and coaching staff that will impact heavily on the club’s leading stars, such as Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez who earn £500,000, £294,000 and £290,000 respectively per week.

Barcelona pays a reported €562m (£519m) as it’s wage bill, making them the highest salary payers in Europe according to accountancy giants KPMG.

The Spanish La Liga are also expected to make an announcement next week regarding the return of football after the premier league extended it’s football suspension till April 30.