Always willing to reduce salaries in exceptional situation: Messi

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said the players will take a 70 per cent pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic and make additional contributions to ensure non-sporting staff receive full wages.

In a statement, Barca skipper Messi said: "Before going any further, we want to make it clear that we were always willing to reduce our salaries because we understand perfectly that we are in an exceptional situation. We, as players, are always here to help the the club when they ask.

"It does not cease to surprise us that from within the club there were those who tried to put us under the magnifying glass and tried to add pressure to do something that we always knew we would do," the Argentine football great said, as per the BBC.

"If we didn't speak until now, it's because the priority was to to find solutions to help the club and to see who the most affected were during this situation.

"For our party, the moment has arrived that, the cut will be 70 per cent of our wage during the state of alarm. We will also help out the club in order for the workers to be paid 100 per cent of their wages."

Earlier, Spanish La Liga club Barcelona had said they want the players to cut their salaries by 70 per cent until June 30 as a way of saving around 106 million euros ($117 million).

According to the Spanish Marca sport newspaper, the club will lose at least 100 million euros ($110.7 million). The amount is about 10 per cent of the club's budget for the 2019-20 season.

Spain's national death toll is now at 7,340, making it the worst-affected country in the world behind Italy. IANS