Alex Song and Johan Djourou have been sacked by their Swiss club FC Sion after refusing to sign an agreement to cut their wages during the coronavirus suspension.
The former Arsenal pair are among nine players from the Swiss Super League side who have been let go after the division was halted on March 1, when the Swiss government banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
With the league currently suspended indefinitely, club president Christian Constantin demanded that the squad cut their wages due to the lack of action, but several of the players refused.
As well as Song and Djourou, the club captain Xavier Kouassi and the former Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami have also been sacked by the side currently eighth in the 10-team Swiss Super League.
Seydou Doumbia, Birama Ndoye, Ermir Lenjani, Mickael Facchinetti and Christian Zock have also been let go.
Cameroon international Song, 32, joined Sion in 2018 after two years in Russia with Rubin Kazan.
He left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2012 after 215 games for the Gunners, while he also had spells at Charlton and West Ham.
Djourou, who has 76 caps for Switzerland, only joined Sion in January when he signed a six-month contract.
The 33-year-old had spells in Germany, Turkey and Italy after he his 2014 departure from the Gunners, for whom he played 140 times in all competitions.
The Swiss Association of Football Players has issued a statement criticising the decision to sack the players.
They wrote: "We hope these unfair dismissals will be cancelled immediately and that discussions will be started on possible alternatives."
Top-flight football is still in suspension around Europe, with the Premier League announcing that it won't resume until at least April 30.
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