Lionel Messi confirms Barcelona pay cuts

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has confirmed the first-team players will take a 70 per cent salary cut and will also “make contributions so that club employees can collect 100% of their salary while this situation lasts.” Amid the coronavirus crisis, various clubs, coaches and footballers have made donations to help fight the rapidly spreading virus. ESPN recently claimed Barcelona players rejected to take a salary cut. However, Messi hit out at those who had criticised the players for not taking a pay cut by stating they took their time to make sure they got the “formula” right. Here’s the statement in full: “Much has been written and said about the FC Barcelona first team in regards to the salaries of the players during this State of Alarm period. First of all, we want to make sure that our will has always been to apply a drop in the salary we receive, because we fully understand that this is an exceptional situation and we are the first ones who have ALWAYS helped the club when it has been lost. Even many times we have also done it on our own initiative, at other times that we thought necessary or important. “Therefore, it does not cease to surprise us that from within the club there were those who tried to put us under the magnifying glass and tried to add pressure to do something that we always knew we would do. In fact, if the agreement has been delayed for a few days it is simply because we were looking for a formula to help the club and also its workers in these difficult times. “For our part, the time has come to announce that, apart from the reduction of 70% of our salary during the State of Alarm, we will also make contributions so that club employees can collect 100% of their salary while this situation lasts. “If we did not speak until now it was because the priority for us was to find solutions that were real to help the club, but also to those who were most affected by this situation. “We do not want to say goodbye without sending an affectionate greeting and a lot of strength to all the culers who are having a hard time in these very difficult moments, as well as to all those who patiently await the end of this crisis in their homes. Very soon we are going to get out of this and we will all do it together.” Source: Barcablaugranes

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