By David Williams
Cardiff City players have voluntarily agreed to take partial pay deferrals for three months.
The club say the agreement will help “maintain financial stability” during the “unprecedented time of global economic concern”.
It says it has taken the step in order to support the club and protect the livelihood of its non-playing personnel.
Bluebirds manager Neil Harris and chief executive Ken Choo had already said they would take a 20 per cent wage cuts while there is no football taking place.
Like every other club, Cardiff’s Championship campaign is on hold after all football was suspended indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cardiff have also put a proportion of non-playing staff on the government’s furlough scheme.
Choo said: “I’m pleased that our players have come together with us to make this significant financial gesture in support of our club and owner.”
“We have a tightly-knit community within the club between our non-playing staff and players; this personal connection compelled our players to step forward and do what they have done, and I’d like to say how proud of them I am for doing this.
“We look forward to returning to the normality of sport in the not too distant future but, until then, will continue to do all we can to protect the infrastructure of our club and community.”
Swansea City have also been in discussion with players over wage deferrals, but have yet to publically confirm any agreement.
Roy Keane has urged players at top Premier League clubs to “stick to their guns” and not be pressured into accepting pay cuts.
The former Manchester United captain has hit out at criticism directed towards players at the top end of the Premier League and calls for blanket wage reductions to be implemented.
For Keane, wages and contracts are personal matters between a player and a club, and whether someone wants to donate part of their salary should be their decision alone.
“There is pressure on players at the really big clubs, clubs with wealthy owners, to take pay cuts,” he told Sky Sports’ The Football Show.
“The way I look at it now, particularly after the way I left Manchester United, I wouldn’t take a pay cut from anybody if I was at one of the bigger clubs.
“I know there is pressure on players, but it is nobody’s business what you do with your wages. You take your wages and if you want to be generous, go ahead and do it. I don’t think players should feel pressured by clubs, particularly the bigger clubs, to take pay cuts.
“They have signed a contract, and your contract with a club is a personal matter. This idea that all players should take a pay cut, or that all the players have to do this, I think that is nonsense. It’s up to the individual.
“If they want to stick to their guns and say they want their full wages when you’ve got a billionaire in the background, do it. Don’t be swayed by some sort of pressure from the media, who write lies anyway about certain players.
“There is a lot of speculation out there, I don’t think anybody should believe anything they are reading about what players are doing. I am really surprised at the amount of people jumping on the bandwagon with the criticism of the players, it’s nobody’s business.
“I’m talking about the top clubs here with the really wealthy owners, obviously the clubs in the owner leagues are having to make sacrifices, but the players at the top at clubs that have the money, stick to your guns.”
