Barcelona's first-team players have finally accepted 70% pay cut, as it has just been confirmed by both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Both players add that the players will add an extra contribution to see that each of the club's employees receives 100% of their wages.
Their joined statement read: "The time has come to announce that, as well as the 70% reduction in our salaries during the state of alarm, we are going to make contributions too so that club employees can receive 100% of their salaries while this situation lasts."
Messi adds, referring to the numerous rumours on the players' reported unwillingness to accept the pay cut: "Our desire has always been to take a pay cut because we understand perfectly that this is an exceptional situation. That's why it has surprised us that within the club people have tried to put us under scrutiny and put pressure on us to do something we were always going to do."
The captain also explained why it took so long for the club to confirm this initiative: "If we didn’t speak until now, it’s because the priority was to find solutions to help the club and to see who the most affected were during this situation.
We don’t want to sign off without giving a massive salute and strength to all of the rules who are going through a bad moment in these difficult times and those waiting patiently in their homes until this crisis is over. Soon, we will come out on the other side of this and we will all join together."
In this case, Leo Messi will go from £500,000 to £150,000 per week.
In Suarez's case, it will be £121,500 per week after £405,000.
Check out how much money other players are going to lose:
It was previously reported that Barcelona's men's team receive around €500-600million annually between them.
On Thursday night, March 26, Barcelona's official website issued a statement that confirmed the club's plan to cut pay in order to prevent the financial crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic which forced La Liga to suspend the games.
