Barcelona face revolt as senior players reject 30% pay cut
Barcelona's precarious financial position has been put into sharp focus by the club's request to the senior squad to take a 30% pay cut until the end of the 2020/21 season.
But the request has been met with real scepticism among the first-team players, with a number of them refusing to agree to a revised arrangement.
The players, who already took a reduction in salary at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, have been asked to have 30% deducted which will be repaid to them when the economic situation returns to normal following the coronavirus pandemic.
The team have been presented with an official communication but Catalan radio suggests that three squad members - thought to be Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Frenkie De Jong and Clement Lenglet - are seeking more assurances before committing to the arrangement.
In addition some players have no desire to negotiate with current club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, though the club are still confident an overall agreement can be reached.
Barcelona's economic problems have been exacerbated by the crisis, reporting a £95m loss for the 2019/20 season and being forced to allow high earners Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic to leave for next to nothing.
Their overall debt is thought to be in the region of £750m and their quiet transfer window, where there were more exits than signings, highlights the difficult situation the club is currently in.
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