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FBL-GER-BUNDESLIGA-HEALTH-VIRUS-PAY
Bayern Munich, other Bundesliga clubs, take pay cut
BERLIN, March 24, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Footballers at Germany’s top teams
including Bayern Munich have agreed to take pay cuts to help other clubs
survive the economic impact of the coronavirus, media reports said Tuesday.
Newspaper Bild reports that players and club officials at champions
Bayern, top of the Bundesliga when the Bundesliga season was halted on March
13, have accepted a 20 percent cut in their salaries.
Like all top European leagues the German top flight is losing income from
broadcasting, sponsorships and ticket sales during the COVID-19 pandemic,
with matches in Germany suspended until at least April 2.
Bayern has a massive wage bill which reached 336 million euros (364
million dollars) last year, almost half of club turnover.
Players at Borussia Moenchengladbach were the first in the Bundesliga to
propose a pay cut, followed by others at Werder Bremen and Schalke 04.
Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen players are in talks over pay cut
proposals with management.
At Dortmund — second in the Bundesliga — coach Lucien Favre has made a
personal offer to take a pay cut while players are negotiating a 20 percent
salary reduction if the season does not restart or a 10 percent cut if play
resumes behind closed doors, when clubs will at least earn income from TV
rights.
BSS/AFP/RY/1708 hrs