February 11 – Players and staff at Ligue 1 outfit Stade Reims have accepted salary cuts to help the club navigate the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic which is savaging French football in combination with the loss of TV rights revenues.
With the move Reims became the second club in French football to reduce players’ salaries. In an open letter all players and staff at Reims announced that they would lower their salaries for the coming months in a bid to assist the club. No figure was given for the reductions that will not be compensated in the future
“Because we all have to act, because football is the very example of collective expression, we spoke with the management of the club and everyone – absolutely all the players, like the members of the staff – spontaneously agreed to a significant drop in our salaries,” said the letter.
The concession the players made will run through to June. The players and staff pointed out that remuneration “in Reims, for the most part, is lower than what is practiced in Ligue 1. If they do not make us ‘millionaires chasing a ball’ contrary to the clichés, they allow us to be privileged”.
The club’s general manager Mathieu Lacour said: “We held a meeting two weeks ago, where the president presented the situation of the club, the colossal losses linked to Covid-19. The players understood it well. They all accepted this reduction in salary without any compensation.”
Reims currently sit in 14th position in Ligue 1. In January, newly promoted RC Lens also introduced a salary reduction reportedly of between 5-15%. The employees at the club unanimously agreed to accept salary reductions for the next six months.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1726824595labto1726824595ofdlr1726824595owedi1726824595sni@o1726824595fni1726824595