Madrid (AFP)
After FC Barcelona and Espanyol Barcelona, Atlético Madrid also presented a partial unemployment plan to deal with the economic difficulties due to the health crisis of the new coronavirus, the club announced on Friday.
To ensure "the survival of the club, we are obliged to present a partial unemployment plan for professionals who, due to the state of alert declared in our country, can no longer do their work after the complete suspension of their activity "said Madrid club general manager Miguel Angel Gil Marin in a statement on Friday.
This measure will affect "both club employees and players and staff of our teams," added the leader "rojiblanco", without giving a figure.
An ERTE ("expediente de regulacion temporal de empleo") in Spain allows a company to suspend contracts for a fixed period, during which time it may not pay its employees. Last week, LaLiga (the body that manages professional football in Spain) encouraged clubs in economic difficulty to take advantage of these partial unemployment plans.
"We are working to minimize the impact of this measure and limit it to what is absolutely essential, so that everything can start working as it did when competition will resume," said Miguel Angel Gil Marin.
"In these times of generosity, humility, solidarity, effort, we must reach out and reach agreements to find a viable solution for all: institutions, clubs, players, members of technical staff , the supporters ... ", concludes the durector general of the" Colchoneros ".
Atlético Madrid is the third club in Spain to request such a partial unemployment plan, after Espanyol Barcelona (Friday noon) and FC Barcelona (Thursday evening) have announced that they will reduce the working days of their employees, and therefore their salary, by 70%, to combat the economic shortfall generated by this health crisis.
With 64,059 cases (including more than 7,800 in 24 hours) and 4,858 deaths according to the figures announced Friday, Spain is one of the countries most affected in the world by this pandemic of new coronavirus, the second in Europe after Italy.
© 2020 AFP