Italian Soccer Clubs Agree To 30% Wage Cut Amid Coronavirus Crisis

Italian soccer clubs have finally agreed over players’ wage reduction, Italian newspaper ‘La Repubblica’ reports.

Serie A teams – Italy’s top-flight soccer league – have agreed almost unanimously to cut first-team wages by up to one third in response to the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.

The only club who voted against was Juventus, who already voluntarily agreed to salary cuts on March 29.

The decision was taken on Monday after an emergency conference call between the 20 clubs.

The Serie A decided to take the matter into its own hands after talks with the Associazione Italiana Calciatori – the Italian players union – failed to reach an agreement.

The clubs agreed on two main guidelines when implementing the pay cuts, depending on the future of the remaining fixtures.

Should the 2019/2020 season be completed, salaries will be cut by 15%. If the season will be eventually scrapped, wages will be deducted by 30%.

A statement on the Lega Serie A website reads: “In line with actions aimed at decreasing labour costs both in Italy and abroad, Lega Serie A today decided unanimously, with the exception of Juventus who have already reached an agreement with their players, a common line of address to contain the amount represented by the salaries of players, coaches and other first-team staff.

This intervention, necessary to safeguard the future of the entire Italian football system, provides for a reduction of 1/3 in total gross annual earnings (or four average all-inclusive monthly payments) if the season cannot be resumed and a reduction of 1/6 in total gross annual earnings (or two average all-inclusive monthly payments) if the remaining matches of the 2019-20 season can be played in the coming months.

It is understood that the clubs will define the agreements with their members of staff directly.” 

The clubs approved the measure which was initially put forward by Joey Saputo, FC Bologna president and owner of the Montreal Impact in the MLS. 

Sport journalist Giovanni Capuano estimated that Italian clubs could save up between $280 and $560 million in wages.

Italy’s Serie A might not return until at least May 3, although the date could be pushed further back, given that the country continues to be under complete lockdown since March 13.

According to the World Health Organization report, Italy recorded over 15,000 deaths as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Although the Serie A has confirmed its ‘desire’ for the 2019-20 season to be completed, Italian Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora announced on March 27 that soccer will be suspended ‘until necessary’.

Serie A is the first major European soccer league to respond to the wage reduction issue in a collective manner.

According to ‘The Guardian’, English Premier League clubs will ask their players to a 30% salary cut to protect other jobs in the sport, although no official statement was released so far.

In German, French and Spanish soccer leagues, clubs have failed to reach a collective agreement on wage reduction so far, leaving the clubs to define salary cuts with members of their players and staff directly.