Chelsea football club is the first club in the Premier League to announce that its players would not take a pay cut amid the coronavirus pandemic that has halted football across Europe.
In a statement issued by Chelsea to make the announcement, the club urged the players to donate to charity, the NHS and support charitable causes during the pandemic.
There were earlier reports which said the club was discussing with the players on how they can contribute 10 per cent of their wages to support the club.
Contrary to such reports, Chelsea first-team, unlike Arsenal first-team, would not have to take any pay cut despite the shortfall in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, talks are still ongoing between the players and the club.
“At this time, the men’s first team will not be contributing towards the club financially and instead the board have directed the team to focus their efforts on charitable causes,” Chelsea‘s statement read.
“We are grateful to the team for having played their role in assisting the club with community activities as well as all the charitable causes they have been supporting in their respective home countries and through the Players Together initiative supporting the NHS.”
Also, the non-playing staff at Stanford Bridge do not have to worry about their jobs and wages as the club has announced that it would not key into the government’s job retention scheme and would pay all staff in full.
“We are not planning any general redundancies or furloughs for our full-time staff who are continuing to be paid 100% of their current wages,” the statement said.
“We are continuing our current level of financial and other support to our professional women players and also to our women’s academy programmes.”
Chelsea Won’t Allow Olivier Giroud to go
Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is set to extend his contract. The extension will tie him to the club until 2021.
Before now, there were reports that the 33-year-old French international would leave the Premier League side in January to Italian Serie A side Inter Milan.
However, Giroud decided to stay back at the club despite not getting enough playing time, a decision the club’s coach Frank Lampard has hailed.
“We all know there has been interest but he (Giroud) has been impeccable in that period and I’ve got huge respect for him for that, and as a player”, Lampard said.
