Barcelona Confirm Staff and Player Wages to Be Cut While Coronavirus Pandemic Continues

Barcelona have confirmed a 'proportional reduction' to the salaries of all staff at the club, while revenue streams continue to be hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The temporary halting of all top-level football across Europe is set to hit football with a financial crisis none could have predicted, and clubs of all shapes and sizes are ​bracing to be hit in the pocket. 

Even financial powerhouses like ​Barcelona are not exempt, as a ​statement from the club on Friday read:  "​The board of directors, at a remote meeting, have discussed the measures to be applied to minimise the economic impact that the coronavirus crisis is causing on the activity of FC Barcelona, as well as the actions that are being carried out by the club and the foundation to collaborate with the authorities, with the aim of avoiding the spread of the disease as much as possible.

"Among the measures adopted, those related to the workplace are motivated by the need to adapt the club's contractual obligations with its staff to the new and temporary circumstances that we are experiencing. This involves the presentation of different cases concerning football and other professional sports, as well as for the other non-sporting personnel.

"These cases will be processed before the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Labour, once the club has shared all aspects related to these measures, and their scope, with all its staff, both sporting and non-sporting. 

"Basically this is a reduction of the working day, imposed by the circumstances and the protection measures carried out, and, as a consequence, the proportional reduction of the remuneration provided for in the respective contracts. 

"These are measures that the club wishes to implement in scrupulous observance of formal labour regulations, under the criteria of proportionality, and above all fairness, and with the sole objective of resuming the club's activities as soon as possible."

That's a lot of words to basically say 'we're cutting wages' but that's the essence of it. There had been talk of a voluntary agreement between the club and players to cut their wages without hitting lower-paid workers at the club, but those negotiations appear to have fallen through. 

Barça sit two points clear at the top of ​La Liga, but it's unclear when their title challenge will resume.