The English Premier League players rejected a move on Saturday by clubs to cut their wages by 30% during the coronavirus pandemic, escalating a bitter row as their union claimed the government would lose out on more than £200 million in tax.
“This would be detrimental to our NHS (National Health Service) and other government-funded services,” the Professional Footballers’ Association said in a statement.
Taking on the Premier League as a whole, the PFA said the £20 million pounds being given to the NHS by the world’s richest soccer competition was “welcome, but we believe it could be far bigger.”
The union’s strident stance came after further talks on Saturday involving clubs and the league.
No-win situation
Former England captain Wayne Rooney said the move would have placed footballers in a “no-win situation”.
“If the government approached me to help support nurses financially or buy ventilators I’d be proud to do so — as long as I knew where the money was going,” said Rooney. “I’m in a place where I could give something up. Not every footballer is in the same position. Yet suddenly the whole profession has been put on the spot with a demand for 30 percent pay cuts across the board. Why are footballers suddenly the scapegoats? How the past few days have played out is a disgrace.”
