There have been reports from other big European clubs ever since this crisis began that the highly paid players have immediately accepted swingeing wage cuts, with Barcelona going as far as a 70% reduction, as announced by Lionel Messi on Instagram.
Part of his statement read (as translated by AS): “For our part, the moment has arrived to say that the cut will be 70% of our wage during the state of alarm. We will also help out the club in order for the workers to be paid 100% of their wages.
If we didn’t speak until now, it’s because the priority was to 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 our strength to all of the cules 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.”
This was announced by Messi on March 30th, and many other clubs followed suit, but two weeks later we are now hearing that yesterday afternoon Arsenal’s stars have rejected a plan that would see them lose a maximum of 12.5% of their wages, or even less if they qualify for Europe. You can read about Arsenal’s proposed plan here..
The report in the Star says that the offer was rejected unanimously “due to doubts over the summer transfer window”, whatever that may mean….
So, as Hector Bellerin is the players representative, I think it is high time that he released a statement telling us their thoughts and reasons for rejecting the small cut. If we don’t hear from them soon, there could be growing resentment amongst fans and the general public.
Yes, indeed. It would be interesting to know.
What is significant from the reports, is the wage reduction of 12,5% is what the club is asking for assuming this season will be finished and next season will be something like “normal”.
So even with those 2 big questionmarks out of the way, the club still thinks a wage reduction is needed, and the players do not. As you say, it would be interesting to know more about the reasons.
Obviously these multi millionaire players, former players, pundits and etc. feels they are too poor
they thinks there are no jobless people and poor people out there and the average income for everyone in the World is 100k a week
We need official details
Why should someone like owner Stan Kronke save money? Silent Stan, who purchased Arsenal for financial gain and only turns up at the cup final.
Perhaps the players would prefer to see their money going to a better cause, there’s plenty of them around at the moment. The papers are one thing, however we never really know what’s going on behind closed doors.
Everyone is doing business for financial gain. So Kronke is having financial knock because of something that he didn’t create. There should be compromise from both parties
Let’s hope a statement is released soon – will make an interesting read! I also hope this applies to all staff on huge wages – Arteta, Raul, Edu etc, not just the players.
What I don’t understand is the amount they’re on each week, the proposed amount is a drop in the ocean! Would they really miss it?! To normal people like us, it would make a huge difference… but they earn more in a week than a lot of us will see in our lifetime! They really do live on another planet!
You see other teams agreeing -.West Ham 30%… Southampton 10%…
I find this incomprehensible to be honest
John Ibrahim put it well
From the bottom of my heart I hope that the reason for not agreeing to the terms was not based on greed alone and that a new way forward can be found
Wholeheartedly agree with your comments.
Kroenke should fork the bill or atleast match what the players have been asked to take.
If it was a mistake made by Kronke, then it would be reasonable to say that. Arsenal should propose 50% pay cut.
As stevo says we need OFFICIAL DETAILS, not second hand via unnamed sources, if we are to judge the case.
I cannot believe that the players need to think about what to do in this area.
The idea that Bellerin should explain what the players found wrong with the clubs proposal and what they will be doing is essential, before the situation becomes ugly.
This goes for every club I should add – let the fans know… including the details of what the non playing staff are contributing.
People are dying and cant pay rent
Jobless rates have sky rocket
and yet football must go on?????
Why am i not surprised by this statement, if it is true. Maybe they think that 12.5% isnt enough and want it to be more realistic or more representative of the different scales of the players mountanous wages. Ie 12.5% of 350000 doesn’t make as much of a dent as 12.5% of 40000 a week. Poor little dears, i don’t know how they will survive. My heart bleeds for their difficult decisions, in this time. Maybe if they talk long enough, it will be all over and they wont have to do anything.
Fact is none of our players have the talent and skill of Messi, love for the club like Messi or even concern for the non playing maintenance associates.Hope I am wrong.Hope we get a mass clear out and start fresh again as most of these over paid Donnas have given us no joy in these past 3 to 4 seasons.
If Arsenal is liquidated because of this virus, where will they get salaries from, in a short time. They should stop being greedy, and help the team that is helping them
All the comments above mine , in various ways, say much the same; namely that players SHOULD take a salary cut. There will be VERY few fans who differ and many like me who think that players are fast losing all pretence to be intelligent and to have any sense of lifes reality. Not only will this indefensible stance from players alienate fans , it will make a vast hole in theprevious vital fan adulation of players.
Without this emotional bond, football clubs will then become just like ANYOTHER BUSINESS, in this respect; such as Lloyds Bank, Tesco and Amazon where its customers have no emotional attchment at all to the company and use it only for convenience , price, service quality. Since attending football matches is not a convenient matter (since cash at turnstiles has long gone), nor are tickets good price value but quite the opposite, nor is the service quality reliably good and often rotten, then NONE of these customer based reasons for attending matches are valid. APART FROM emotional attachment to the club and team.
BUT, BUT, BUT, once you damage – or rather, once the PLAYERS damage that bond, it may never return. I forecast that unless players en masse swiftly adopt a decent and moral mentality and use what intelligence they have(which is painfully little right now) to see how they are killing the golden goose that lays their personal GOLDEN EGGS,then they wil be mainly, not entirely but mainly, responsible for damaging, even mortally damaging, the sport we all love.
If that happens, watch the fans love turn VERY SWIFTLY to hate and vengeance. At that point, top football may be effectively dead. At the very least I see no way that many grounds, even our own, will be constantly packed in the future, UNLESS the players swiftly CHANGE TACK.
BE AWARE THAT MUCH DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE AND IN MY USUAL CONSIDERED OPINION, FAR MORE THAN MANY YET REALISE.
Agree Jon, i all ready feel disconnected with this lot of footballers, Arsenal and other teams. Football isn’t what it once was, no personalities, no connection and no scruples. I used to feel Arsenal was an extension of my life, i now wonder what im doing following, supporting and wanting for this club. I dont like the owner, i dont feel connected to the players (they dont feel to me connected to the club) i dont like the direction football is going in and i think the premier league is just about money, our money, thats it. I for one after all this is over will have more important things on my mind than football and especially Arsenal. A sad day for me but im falling out of love with the game and its shabby image.
Reggie, I too am rapidly falling out of love and ask myself constantly, HOW CAN I LOVE SOMETHING SO MORALLY ROTTEN? You and I will have millions thinking as we do and on our side. This disease and all its obvious pointing out of who are the heroes and who are the villains in society, will prove a landmark change for so many human future attitudes towards football and so much more besides. Football at top level has been rotten to its core for decades and getting more putrid by the day. Most folk will abandon unstinting support of morally bad people and entities.
I agree Reggie
Is it because we are the older generation? Will the younger fans care? Some posts on here think that we should pay Aubameyang what he wants regardless. They don’t even have the concept of a ruddy football player earning upwards of £15m pa. You can times that by 10 other players and the costs are eye watering but the fans seem oblivious to that reality.
And it’s only football. They haven’t developed a vaccine for this virus, or worked long hours in the NHS. They have got extraordinarily well paid for kicking a football. Back in the day, players got well paid but it was a short career and not vastly different pay from everyone else. Nowadays, there is no correlation between the players salaries and ours. The gap is enormous
The PL and TV money changed football for the worse. Greed, new billionaire owners and a fan base whether at the ground or couch potatoes at home paying handsomely to watch their team. We have been fleeced and my BT package isn’t even pausing its fees for not providing live sport. Disillusionment has set in at many levels
I now see many sharing their pain with this crop of mostly nobodies.I was feeling alienated past 3 to 4 seasons. Emery tried to be strict, he faced backlash and the rest his history. We are now what CFC were a few seasons ago, but at least CFC chaps did win something so they g
had a fat ego.Our players are virtual nobodies save 2 or 3. and have been exposed how they give back to the club. Sad but true.
Sue P- I’m not really a Royalist.How about they all donate from their own MULTI MILLION POUNDS A YEAR. Let’s face it, do they really do that much anyway to warrant such huge amounts. I have yet to hear of Buckingham Palace being used to assist the NHS, or any other of the Royal Households that are realistically owned and paid for by the nation are they not? There’s a spare house in Windsor that’s empty now Harry is in LA. How about giving that up for use? And Highgrove while Charles is up on his Estate in Balmoral ( which is just up the road from the Estate lived in by Ken @ 1845 )?
Not heard too much about ANY Royals doing too much about donating from their huge reserves paid out of our own Taxes.
Republicans rule UK then, eh Phil? Count me NOT among them! As you fail to see the money, prestige and influence the Royal family , though not the hangers on, achieve for Britain then more fool you, say I. But, like Spuds fans in North London, you are in a small minority.
Phil
I can tell you are not a Royalist but I
don’t know why you picked on me to vent your spleen as my post has nothing to do with them and is not relevant to the topic.
I haven’t offered my touring caravan to the NHS even though it’s sitting there doing nothing this summer
Has Guardiola offered his home after he went back to Barcelona?
You were making a political point But I reiterate-why pick on me?
I hope your not insinuating I give my estate to these overpaid and privileged billionaires?!?!
My wife has been making bags that NHS staff can use to bundle their clothing in when coming off shifts.
This is so they can then pop the said bags straight into the washing machine, ready for use the next day.
I suppose the royals could do the same at Balmoral, especially as they are doing nothing else at the moment, with no tourists to show around, highland gatherings to open or garden parties to attend, it might be feasible.
Love the Royle family dig, just imagine Charles wallpapering the wall, with his “builders bum” jiggling to the music!!!!
I have been an Arsenal supporter since i can remember, 1962 but i am a tad older. I have been involved in football, playing, coaching and some refereeing at youth level as well but since the mega deal with Sky, my passion has been waning. I dont mind sportsmen earning good money. I dont mind that there is lots of money in football far from it but what i do mind is the way it is dished out and the way it is wasted. The lower leagues get nothing from the top table, grass roots football get nothing, supporters are exploited and footballers are in their own little bubble, looking after no 1. I think and hope that football elite, shall we call them are in for a big wake up call and boy was it and is needed.
Reggie, If I could, I’d love to shake your hands and offer you a drink. BTW, I often shake hands but as for drinks, well, I make even Kroenke look generous! I think of all who post regularly on here you , me and SueP are probable the three who MOST see how much damage VIRTUALLY all top players are doing to the games future.
Well said Reggie and I agree totally with Jon’s reply to you
Anyone who thinks that football is looking good over all of this, is very short sighted or just very naive. They are excelling themselves at ruining the game, its image and for that matter, theirs.
Until I hear directly from the players and their reasons.. I will keep quiet!.. I don’t deliberate on rumours
Simon, It is NOT a rumour but fact Simon, though you seem not to have noticed, that our players only yesterday rejected a mere 12.5 % pay cut request. If they cannot accept even that PALTRY CUT, then they are clearly not behaving morally and will pay the certain price. And in lack of support they are RIGHT NOW paying that price, while you still hang on ,rather pathetically and stupidly, waiting for non rumours. I also do not deal in rumours but THIS is FACT, Simon Wisen up man!
Jon, in trying to belittle Simon, you say “wake up, they rejected a mere 12.5% wage cut…so can you tell him and I why they rejected that wage cut? Were they consulted by the club before this was put to them? Did they have an input into the figure of 12.5%? How “mere” was it?
The FACT is, we have been getting conflicting reports and it’s a complete mess – I have no issue with the fact that players need to think long and hard about their own and their clubs future, how they should have, by now, been able to arrive at an agreement that sees them supporting the country in it’s fight against the coronavirus…it is quite shameful and what on earth the PFA and the FA are doing is also shameful as well, but without knowing ALL the facts, what Simon says is correct.
Having an opinion that is different to yours, is not pathetic and stupid by the way and, as Simon states, until we hear directly from the players as to their reasons, I would suggest you follow your own often repeated advice of not believing everything you read in the media – in FACT Jon, there are three different versions making the rounds as to what the 12.5% figure involves, so how anyone not involved can make a sensible decision about it, is simply impossible – unless you are a party to the “negotiations”and even that word is being questioned in one report!!!
Pat made the perfect suggestion, when he said we need to here from the players spoke person, Bellerin, then we can assess our own and personal opinion.
Not have it thrust on us!!!
I am getting very frustrated and angry with the lack of clarity that is coming out from the PFA, the FA, the clubs, the players and the 12 billionaire owners in the premier league – they are all at fault for not being transparent enough with the country.
In answer to Phil’s point about the royal family and your reply saying they are bringing in money to the country, the family is worth an estimated £77 billion pounds and the Queen herself an estimated £420 billion pounds!!!! While we are waiting for the grotesquely overpaid world of football to explain it’s agreed stance, wouldn’t it be nice to see a lead being given by this privileged overpaid group of people as well?
Are tthey notin danger of destroying their status in the country by their inaction?
Along, of course, with the politicians, multi billion companies and individuals such as Branson, who at the last count, was worth over £3 billion pounds and he is asking for government assistance in protecting his Virgin airline i.e. his billions!!!
Meanwhile, the death toll rises, the NHS workers are told not to use to much PPE gear, the care workers have no protection whatsoever, people on the frontline are not being tested for the virus and we haven’t got enough ventilators, aprons or masks – THAT’S where any money the overpaid, privileged people of our society should be putting their money into….and I think you will find that is what the players are trying to do – not into someone like kronkies bank account…just my take on what I’ve read.
Ken
Any answer I give to your post will end up sounding political which I try not to do as this is a football site.
I’ll do my best with the Royal family first. I like the working royals who in the main do good work in supporting charities and represent our nation in a non political way The huge wealth to which you refer is tied up money. Like it or not, the vast majority of British citizens support them and looking across the pond to the US of A at the moment I’d have Queenie over Trump any day of the week. I see them as guardians of our heritage which we all know brings in huge ££ to our economy. I think you have got your sums wrong suggesting that her Maj is worth £420 billion. They are hardly despots.
Maybe the billionaire set could do more but to suggest that Branson gives up his wealth to bail out Virgin is not credible. He started with nothing alongside many other entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses employing the many 1000’s of people who have owed their careers to their skills and vision. How much of Branson’s wealth would be needed to bail out Virgin in this crisis? 10%, 50% – the lot? Apart from that, I’m not sure how much power he has at Virgin these days
The reality is we don’t know if the royals or Branson et al have made donations any more than you know if I’ve given to the NHS appeal or not. What I will say is hats off to the young lad at Newcastle, Matty, showing the best of Britain as well as Captain Tom. Ken, your wife is also an unsung hero and deserves praise for her efforts along with so many others.
Some people in life will give and others just take. It is human nature
I’m not trying to be an apologist for the government as I think the Chancellor didn’t fanny about when it came to pumping money into the economy.
The points you made about equipment and testing are important. The little I know is that apart from most nations in the world being totally under prepared for the pandemic we were not set up with the right laboratories etc to test quickly enough or sufficient people from the outset It also seems that some PPE that was ordered from China was not of an acceptable standard. This happened in another European country too The creation of the Nightingale hospital with others following on is a success. Seeing footage of patients attached to oxygen bottles in hospital corridors in Italy and Spain made grim viewing.
I readily agree that logistically speaking, the delivery of gowns and masks to all sectors has been a disaster as has sufficient testing and it is the government’s most urgent requirement to improve on that
Ken, How sadly typical of you to ignore the main and central point whilst looking for excuses for them not yet agreeing to this cut. There are no excuses. One key difference between us Ken is that I always get straight to the central point and do not look for excuses not to get AT that truth.
Ken , there are NO excuses and no matter what other factors emerge it should be ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TO ALL that top level football is rotten to the core and has been so, increasingly too, for decades, MAINLY since the Prem was formed.
If players, in general, not merely ours, do not accept significant wage cuts and soon now, many will find themselves unemployed. The clubs will, in the end, band together to survive and if this means that some greedy players are forced from the game altogether, then so be it and they will have only their own greed, immorality and stupidity to blame.
You should not be trying to defend or even delay the inevitable need by pointlessly questioning the indefensible KEN and this applies, no matter what other info and factors may come into the public domain.
If you don’t already know how corrupt the financial side of Prem football is then you must have lived in a cave these last decades. We don’t need further debate . We need proper action, TODAY!
I will not comment on all your political comments, but then you already knew that before you asked my opinion. When will you learn that I will not indulge in pointless political debate on HERE?
Sue P- not at you at all. But only to pick up on the point that they too should morally have a conscience every bit as much as footballers.
And Jon-your reply is nonsense. They bring money into the UK and are very handsomely rewarded.
Footballers bring money into their clubs and are very handsomely rewarded.
Tell me the difference
Morally speaking Phil you are right. I replied to Ken that I very much hope that the Royals and the mega rich are contributing. Not everyone courts publicity so who is doing their bit is hard to pinpoint
It is difficult with the Royals as although they are massively wealthy on paper it’s not money they can just go off and blow Most if it is really being held for the nation in a manner of speaking. Although they get money from us annually it has been worked out that the money coming in through tourism exceeds that many times
Regarding the players taking a pay cut, they should feel morally obligated too. Show some solidarity with the country they work in and the sacrifices being made by their fans (from whichever club they support) around the country. It wouldn’t take long for Kroenke to bankrupt himself if he was to be held responsible for paying the players without the club accumulating any income at present Although that would be one way of getting him out of Arsenal 😉
Any club, in huge debt, and depleted cash reserve is in crises. And in big 6 in EPL, Arsenal will be the worst hit. Inflated wages, no CL, and no wage cut. If the players think they deserve 100k-200k per week to sit at home, then Stan will announce next transfer that he has to sell Auba+Lacca and not bring anyone because club is neck high in debt. How will that feel?
I liked the Arsenal of Wenger era, to over achieve than what we spent. I liked it when we demanded for bigger aspirations, and started s[pending more. But except one or two, most have not stood up to their transfer fee and wages. No big sellable assets and no empathy towards the club by players will show up next 2-3 transfer markets
Prepare for mediocrity for next 3 seasons
When did we over achieve with Wenger in the latter years? Why are you bringing him up in this debate? Wenger brought in Lacca, Xhaka, Ozil and his new contract, Mustafi and they have been the biggest digraces these last few seasons.
Matty Longstaff is on £850 (!) a week at Newcastle and is donating 30% of it to the NHS….
LEGEND!
👍👍 Reggie!
Shame on every other player who could do the same thing if he/she wanted too – a brilliant act to follow for his highly paid fellow players and their owner Mike Ashley who is worth £2 and a quarter billion pounds – watch this space!!!
The same goes for our players and kronkie by the way!!!
The only thing I don’t get is, if he can donate it directly to the NHS and has a guarantee it gets there, why haven’t the other players followed suit – because that is what they are saying they want to do, along with protecting non-playing staff who have received nothing or only 80% of their salaries?
Is it really this difficult? If Matty can do it why can’t they?
Well that’s the million dollar question, Ken!! As you say – watch this space! Maybe it was highlighted as he’s on pittance compared to every other PL player!
Huge thumbs up to your wife for making those bags!.
These Arsenal players deserves to have pay cut even without corona virus. Most of rhem dont show ccommitment, determination, hunger, and love for the team. They even play boring football. The only know how to negotiate better wages for dismal performance
SueP and Jon- I did reply to ou both but it seems the Admins pulled it. Not sure why because it was a very polite and, in my opinion, valid response to you both.
Big Brother!!!!!
Well Phil
That is a real shame. I am sure you are naturally polite so I have no idea why your post was deleted.
It has happend to me too Phil, though a couple of weeks ago, and even though I then emailed Admin Pat to ask why, as mine too were not abusive nor filthy, they failed to appear. No reply and I guess we draw our own conclusions.
Perhaps he is related to the Royal Family Jon😂
I’m related to the Royle family 😉
Why are they taking the 12.5 cut is there any other not doing it
Arsenal executives have taken a pay cut of over a third of their wages and it isn’t deferred, its at least a gesture. Well done, players take note, you are a disgrace to our club.
Oh and we have agreed to pay non playing staff their wages until the end of May. I like that and again, the players are showing a total disrespect.
Reggie
I’m glad you pointed that out as before I thought that the execs were not taking the lead by doing the decent thing. And they are so fair play