Paris (AFP)

Like their European counterparts, are PSG players ready to lower their wages to help their club overcome the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic? "We will try to do it," attacker Pablo Sarabia told AFP on Saturday.

"The captains (of the PSG, editor's note) are currently discussing this with the management. Everything we can do to help the PSG and Paris in general, we will try to do", assured the Spanish international (27 years old) during the '' a remote video interview.

"Discussions are underway. We will see when it will succeed," confirmed a Parisian executive, contacted by AFP, while the payroll of the workforce is estimated at 337 M EUR, more than half of the budget. .

The players of several European clubs still involved in the Champions League have already consented to such an effort, like Juventus Turin, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

At Atlético Madrid or FC Barcelona, ​​the workforce accepted a reduction of 70% in their salary as long as the state of alert is in force.

In France, the leaders and footballers of L1 and L2 sealed an agreement last Tuesday calling for a "temporary" drop in salaries to preserve the clubs 'cash flow in the face of the health crisis, on the initiative of the players' union (UNFP) ).

In principle, footballers will receive their salaries at the end of the season, when the television rights are paid, currently frozen by the broadcasters Canal + and beIn Sports.

This temporary reduction, which is added to the savings already obtained thanks to the partial activity system set up by the government and activated by many clubs, will be calculated on the basis of a progressive scale.

Players receiving less than 10,000 euros as part of the partial activity, or 70% of their gross monthly salary, will not be affected by this device.

Beyond that, four installments will be put in place: 20% less remuneration in April for players earning between 10,000 and 20,000 euros; 30%, for those between 20,000 and 50,000 euros; 40%, for those between 50,000 and 100,000; and finally 50% less for those receiving more than 100,000 euros per month.

However, this is a simple recommendation: under labor law, "no one can be forced to join," says a UNFP official, adding that "a large majority will not go to against "this agreement.

© 2020 AFP