Serie A Agrees Pay Cut For Playing Staff; Return To Action In June?

This week, Serie A clubs voted unanimously to implement a one-third wage cut for all playing staff should the season fail to be completed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The news comes as no surprise, as clubs shoulder the burden of vastly reduced income due to no matchday revenue and lack of funds from TV rights. 

Football investment specialist Fausto Zanetton had already warned of the financial ticking time bomb that awaits clubs due to the current situation in an interview with Forbes, and the Italian league has moved swiftly to lessen the impact of the difficulties faced. 

As of April 6th, Serie A was the only league of Europe’s top five to have successfully agreed the pay cut, with many others still locked in difficult negotiations. If the season does resume, the wage cut will be reduced to one sixth, equal to two month’s wages.

Only Juventus abstained from the vote, with the other 19 clubs in complete agreement with the proposal, the Bianconeri having already negotiated a separate agreement with their players which will see them receive no salary for March, April, May and June, saving the club €90 million. Should football resume, their individual package will be renegotiated, a club statement read.

For the other teams, the emergency meeting held by conference call came on Monday April 6, after talks with the player’s union failed to yield a definitive decision. 

“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,” read the league’s official statement. 

“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.” 

Meanwhile, reports in La Gazzetta dello Sport indicate that Serie A players may not have to take the full wage cut, as the league hopes to resume action—albeit with altered protocols—sometime in June. This would mean that training would need to restart at the beginning of May.

In this case, provisions would need to be made for those players who left Italy to return to their home countries, for example Juventus forwards Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala who both left for their native Argentina. 

Many different procedures need to be put in place before action could begin again, and of course, all matches would be behind closed doors. It remains to be seen whether this is a workable plan, considering the scale of the crisis faced in Italy, and the league may face opposition from clubs who consider it to be too soon for play to resume. 

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