Southampton has become the first Premier League club to announce the postponement of salaries to its players for several months, against the backdrop of a moratorium imposed by the emerging Corona virus. Not only will the delay in paying salaries to players, but the club managers and the Austrian coach of the team, Ralf Hasenhotel, and his assistant crew, will be extended until June.
Southampton said in a press statement that, in addition to the players who will postpone their salaries for the months of April, May and June, the club will also not resort during the three-month period to apply partial unemployment that allows the employees concerned to receive 80 percent of their salaries from the state, provided that this does not exceed the Maximum £ 2,500 (about $ 3,000) per month.
Southampton indicated that all the club's employees who will not postpone their salaries "will continue to receive 100 percent of their salaries."
Southampton, who was only seven points away from the relegation zone to the second level before the suspension of the Premier League, said that postponing the players ’salaries" will help protect the future of the club, its employees and the society we serve. "
The Premier League called on all club players to deduct 30 percent of their salaries, but the Association of Professional Players has so far refused to do so on the pretext that this will have a negative impact on the tax contributions that the NHS benefits from.
Pending an agreement on salaries, the players launched their own voluntary initiatives to contribute to assisting National Health Service staff.