Barcelona have already taken pay cuts with Lionel Messi announcing he and his teammates would take a 70 per cent pay cut on Monday. They believed pay cuts for their highest earners will become inevitable as the coronavirus outbreak continues.
However, Luis Suarez admitted the players have been hurt by the way the recent pay cuts at the club were touched.
“It hurts because we were the first people who wanted to reach an agreement. We were aware of what is happening worldwide. We know the situation the club is in at the income level, and what is happening in the world.” Suarez told Mundo Deportivo.
“But the time came and things began to be said. That the players did not want to understand. And that the handball players, and everyone had reached an agreement and we did not.
“But we had not reached the agreement because we were waiting to find the best solution for the club and for our benefit, and try to help others who were having a bad time.” Suarez added.
Messi, meanwhile, agreed to take a 70 per cent pay cut to ensure Barcelona’s other employees are paid in full during the state of alarm in Spain.
“For our part, the time has come to announce that, as well as the reduction of 70 per cent of our salary during the State of Alarm, we will also make contributions so the club’s employees can collect 100 per cent of their salary while this situation lasts,” Messi said.
The Spanish government on Monday declared the state of emergency and imposed a nationwide lockdown for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Health authorities on Tuesday announced Spain’s deadliest day yet since the coronavirus outbreak began, bringing the hideous number of fatalities to 8,189. Another 9,222 people tested positive for the virus, raising the number of confirmed cases to 94,417.Under the state of alert, the government will have powers to restrict people’s movements.
