The Football Association, which represents football players in the English Premier League, has questioned the League's call for a 30% cut in player wages, amid the Corona virus crisis, and said this would reduce tax revenue for the National Health Service.
The position taken by the Professional Players Association increases the possibility of a public bickering over the salaries of some of the world's richest footballers, at a time when Britain is facing a huge health crisis.
Representatives of the players of twenty Premier League clubs and officials from the Professional Players Association met with the Premier League on Saturday.
The meeting came a day after consultations with the players on a mixture of conditional wage cuts and the postponement of other sums of 30% of the annual wage.
Saturday's talks were not described as negotiations, and no decision was expected, but the Professional Players Union issued a long statement, which he did not attribute to any official, and questioned the logic behind the league's position.
"The players realize that taxes on their wages contribute significantly to financing important public services, which is especially important at the present time," the statement said.
"Reducing wages by 30% will cost the state treasury a large sum. This will harm the National Health Service and other services funded by the government," he added.
The Players Association said the proposed cut, which amounts to 30% over 12 months, equals more than five hundred million pounds ($ 613 million) in the form of a wage cut and a tax loss of 200 million for the government.
"What effect does this loss of government revenues have on the national health service? Was this considered in the Premier League proposal? Did the Minister of Health Matt Hancock consider this when he asked the players to reduce their wages?"
Hancock said Thursday that players should lower their wages, in response to a question from a journalist about the ethical principles of clubs that have given their non-player employees vacations, and use government funds to pay their salaries.
The Professional Players Association - whose primary funding is from proceeds from television broadcasts for Premier League matches - confirmed that the players wanted to provide financial assistance.
"All the Premier League players want to play their part, and make a significant financial contribution in these unprecedented circumstances. All the Premier League players appreciate their role and responsibilities in society during the current crisis, they are very interested in those who have difficulties at this moment," he added. ".