The reduction of player salaries has been a big talking point since the outbreak of the coronavirus, with the Chelsea deciding against such measures.
Chelsea have launched a statement confirming that, as matters stand, their players will no longer be taking pay cuts to help with the running of the club and that no full-time body of workers will be furloughed.
Football clubs in England – and especially those outside of the Premier League – are experiencing extreme financial troubles during the coronavirus crisis, with income streams having been decimated.
The severity of the state of affairs has led to some clubs asking their players to sacrafice a portion of their salaries, with Arsenal having lately reached an agreement over a 12.5 per cent reduction.
Criticism has been aimed at Mesut Ozil after he allegedly refused to take a pay cut, even though there also those that feel the German, and any other player requested to take a deduction, are well within their rights to decline.
And Chelsea have now made an announcement over their stance regarding player salaries, insisting that they are not currently asking their first-team squad to make contributions to assist the club’s financial situation.
The statement read: “Representatives of the Chelsea board have recently held substantial talks with the men’s first team to discuss how they can make a contribution financially to the club in the course of the coronavirus crisis.
“The objective of these talks has been to find a meaningful partnership around making sure we preserve jobs for staff, compensate fans and participate in things to do for good causes.
“We are grateful to the team for having played their role in helping the club with community activities as well as all the charitable motives they have been helping in their respective home countries and through the Players Together initiative assisting the NHS.
“At this time, the men’s first team will not be contributing in the direction of the club financially and instead the board have directed the team to focus their efforts on further assisting other charitable causes.
“As this crisis develops the club will continue to have conversations with the men’s first team concerning financial contributions to the club’s activities.”
The west London club additionally confirmed that they will not be furloughing full-time staff, adding: “The club can confirm we will not be taking advantage of the government’s present day Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which runs to 30 June.
“We are no longer planning any general redundancies or furloughs for our full-time group of workers who are continuing to be paid a hundred per cent of their current wages.
“Casual workers and match day staff employed by the club are being compensated by us through 30 June as if matches had been played and we had been working as normal.
“We are continuing our current level of financial and other support to our professional female players and additionally to our women’s academy programmes.
Our women’s team and staff have been very supportive of our charitable things to do all through this crisis which has been appreciated by both the club and the respective charities.”
