Barcelona are paying out close to £10 Million per week on salaries.
I read a report today that Barcelona Football Club had a proposal to reduce players salaries over this time rejected. The players wont budge and have voted as a group to keep their salaries as they are. I do struggle with this one as these players are on salaries of over £100,000 per week, with Messi on £1 Million plus. Messis's salary alone is more than the salary cap of £7 million per season for Premiership rugby teams.
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If you put that into context you have a squad of 30 players in a rugby team sharing less than Messi's salary and yet these players are standing up supporting their clubs. They have all started coming out saying they are prepared to take a wage cut to help the hand that feeds them monthly.
Revenues are going to be down and this is unprecedented as nothing like this has happened before. I am sure clubs going forward will add certain things to their insurance policies now. The reality is they are all vulnerable now and it is all about survival and who has the deepest pockets.
Rugby doesn't receive anywhere near the amount the Football Clubs do from television revenue or sponsorship deals. The players don't earn as much in comparison with some players playing an entire season for what one top footballer earns in one week.
I think this also depends on the player make up of a team and their has to be a figure head that the rest are taking their cue from with Barcelona. Possibly it is Messi or one of the old guard who is leading this stand off. I see it as pure greed and nothing else. I find it such a cheek and knowing in the past they have tried dodging paying their tax bills.
I would be appalled if I was a fan as I know what the rest of Spain is going through right now. People are not being paid by their companies and things are tight. Players not preparing to lose a portion of their salaries whilst not playing doesn't seem like such a hardship considering how much they earn.
The world is about give and take and supporting your club that pays your salary should be a players priority. A player is not bigger than the club and if I had a squad of 30 players not preparing to even negotiate I would ask questions if they are the players I want playing for my club. It doesn't matter who they are as they can be replaced. Playing for a club is a privilege which offers you the lifestyle very few have.
I think this is the difference between rugby and football as they don't see themselves as superstars and are grateful for whatever they receive. Some of Saracens top players have come out saying they will take a pay cut which they weren't prepared to do a few months ago.
I would like to see Football squads have a salary cap as that would teach them what they had was special and they have abused this in my opinion.The agents are to blame for the salary escalations and capping players salaries caps the agents at the same time.