Coronavirus: Messi Confirms Barcelona Players Will Take 70 Per Cent Pay Cut

Lionel Messi has confirmed that he and the rest of his Barcelona teammates have accepted the club’s proposal to take a 70 per cent pay cut.

The Catalan club have been looking to cut costs, with the coronavirus crisis expected to see them make massive losses on the financial side.

There had been some suggestions that the players weren’t happy with the considerable reduction in their wages.

“A lot has been written and said about the FC Barcelona first team in regard to the salaries of the players during this period of a state of emergency,” Messi wrote on Instagram.

“Before anything, we want to clarify that our will has always been to take a pay cut because we understand perfectly that this is an exceptional situation and we’re always the first ones that have helped the club when we’ve been asked.

“We’ve even done it sometimes off our own back, [when] we thought it was necessary or important in other times.

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“Therefore, it doesn’t surprise us that the club wanted to put us back under the microscope and try to pressure us into doing something we were always going to do.

“In fact, if the agreement has been delayed in the last few days, it’s simply because we were finding a formula to help the club and also our employees in such difficult times.

“On our part, the moment has come to announce that, as well as reducing our salaries by 70 per cent during the state of emergency, we’re going to make some contributions so that all the employees at the club can earn 100 per cent of their wages during this situation.

“If we didn’t speak until now it was because the priority for us was to find solutions that were realistic to help the club, but also those that are most affected by this situation.

“We don’t want to sign off without sending our best wishes and lots of strength to all Barcelona fans that are going through such hard times, as well as all those who are waiting patiently at home for the end of this crisis. We’re going to get out of this very soon and we’ll do it all together.”

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