Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has confirmed a 70 per cent pay cut for the players during the coronavirus pandemic.
Funds will be directed to club staff throughout the crisis with a statement made on Monday following the club’s enacting of the pay cut.
As well as taking a 70 per cut pay cut, stars will make additional contributions to ensure ordinary staff receive their salary in full during the suspension of football.
A number of first-team players including Messi and Luis Suarez released the statement on their social media accounts on Monday.
It read: “The time has come to announce that, aside from the reduction of 70 per cent of our salary during the state of emergency, we will also make contributions so that the club’s employees can collect 100 percent of their salaries while this situation lasts.
“Our desire has always been to take a pay cut, because we understand perfectly that this is an exceptional situation.”
The statement insisted plans were always underway to take a significant decrease.
It added: “It never ceases to amaze us that from within the club there were some who tried to put us under the magnifying glass and tried to add pressure for us 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.”
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