Messi clears the air, says Barca stars’ll take 70% pay cut amid COVID-19 outbreak

Contrary to reports making the rounds throughout last week, Barcelona captain Messi has revealed that players of the club will take a 70% pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic.

Reports had claimed that the players are refusing to take a pay cut, but Messi pointed that the move was delayed as the players were “looking for a formula to help the club.”

The Argentine said additional contributions would also be made by the players to ensure non-sporting staff receive full 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.

“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.”

Barcelona are one of a number of European clubs taking pay cuts during the pandemic, as Juventus players and manager agreed to freeze their pay for four months at the weekend.