The Coronavirus pandemic has affected all the football clubs financially. They don’t have their earnings from matches and sponsorship fees.
Many footballers across the globe have accepted salary cuts to help their club pay the other workers. But Premier League players haven’t yet done that thing for their clubs.
The UK government has launched a furlough scheme where the staffs would be paid 80 per cent of their salaries if they are suspended from their jobs.
Premier League leaders Liverpool have taken advantage of this government scheme and placed some of their staff on furlough scheme and they will pay the additional 20 per cent to ensure out-of-work staff receive a full wage.
An official club statement read: “Liverpool FC has placed some staff who are impacted by the Premier League suspension on furlough. The club has confirmed those staff will be paid 100 per cent of their salaries to ensure no member of staff is financially disadvantaged. Last month the club also confirmed that it would pay its matchday and non-matchday staff while the Premier League is suspended.”
Liverpool aren’t the first club to do this thing. Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, Norwich and Bournemouth have already placed their staffs on furlough scheme. All the clubs faced criticism for allowing the taxpayer to pay staff wages, despite the vast wealth of the majority of top-flight clubs owners.
Jurgen Klopp showed compassion for all at the start of this pandemic, senior players heavily involved in @premierleague players taking wage cuts. Then all that respect & goodwill is lost, poor this @LFC https://t.co/9bE8Rw1veE
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) April 4, 2020
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher criticised Liverpool’s move. He wrote on Twitter: “Jurgen Klopp showed compassion for all at the start of this pandemic, senior players heavily involved in Premier League players taking wage cuts. Then all that respect & goodwill is lost, poor this LFC”
Jurgen Klopp gave an wonderful message to Liverpool supporters last month. He said he would accept the season being totally cancelled if it meant it helped ‘just one’ person.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy wrote in the Daily Mail: “It is grotesque because it wasn’t introduced for Premier League clubs who have more than enough money to look after their own.”
“I’m particularly disappointed with the decision coming from Liverpool yesterday [Saturday] because it runs against the togetherness and unity the club has always been renowned for, particularly over the last 30 years since Hillsborough.”
“I think there will be a backlash and while the club’s business people might think it will save them some money in the short-term, it will cause reputational damage.”
The Premier League has now advised players to take a 30 per cent pay cut, apparently agreed by the clubs. The players will donate to the National Health Service (NHS).
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is also attempting to organise a ‘crisis fund’ in which players can donate a percentage of their wages.
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