Barcelona Propose In-House Pay Cuts as La Liga Prepare to Hold Crisis Meeting With Clubs

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is considering imposing pay cuts at the club to help offset their losses as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

La Liga will hold talks with its clubs over the next week to assess their financial situation, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal, Real Betis and Levante set to be the first to be contacted by the league.

Even with talks happening soon, Mundo Deportivo reports Barcelona are considering a move to reduce salaries, which president Bartomeu has already discussed with their most senior players.

It's reported that Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto and Gerard Piqué were asked about the possible wage cut to help the club through the next few weeks or months, with all four appearing to be on board with the idea.

It's also claimed UEFA and FIFA have been part of discussions over player wages across the board and could impose a blanket reduction.

The Daily Mail's report on the situation at Barcelona adds the club will announce 'temporary redundancies' at some point over the next week, but it also highlights how player wages will need to be reduced too.

Across their various sports teams, Barcelona pay €642m annually in wages, with €507m going to their senior football team.

All eyes will be on the outcome of Monday's meeting with UEFA, La Liga, and the European Clubs Association as even the most high-profile clubs in Europe start to struggle with their finances as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Barcelona have already confirmed that the postponement of their game against Napoli cost them €6m, while being forced to close their museum (which earned them €60m last season) and the club shop (€86m) has already made a serious impact on their financial projections.

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