Football Coronavirus Thread

The Queens Park Rangers squad are set to agree to a 25% wage deferral over the next three months after rejecting the club’s idea to make it half of their salary. The report also outlines why this may be seen as a necessary move for the club, as they recorded losses of over £10m last May and they have been working on cutting costs for the past few years after their relegation from the Premier League that brought a penalty from the EFL back in July 2018.

Providing this does go through, QPR won’t be the first club to take such action, with Leeds United and Birmingham City both agreeing reductions with their squad, whilst it has been claimed that further clubs will follow suit, including Hull City and Cardiff City among others.

The chickens are coming home to roost not just for big-spending Premier League clubs but dozens of EFL clubs who are facing uncertain futures after years of overspending on transfers and player wages.
 Warburton said: “You can’t avoid the fact that the game is fighting for survival. People are oblivious to the severity of the situation. “We have a league structure that is the envy of the world but that is threatened now by what we are facing as a society. We have to be aware of the situation. The sooner football realises where we stand the better we can move forward.



“I have no vendetta against players, it’s all about the players and we all want to see the best players play. That’s why we love the game. But I do agree that we have to press the reboot button. There’s too many clubs in a financially-weak position.
 “Right now, if you’re a cynic of the game, you could say it is time to almost cleanse the system. We don’t want that. And yet because of the emotion and passion of football, we tolerate certain wage situations that can’t be allowed.

QPR have been in discussions with their players over taking wage deferrals but Warburton insisted that only cuts will make a difference.
 But Warburton insisted that players have to “open their eyes” and realise that other staff, essential backroom staff, are taking cuts to help the clubs while the Professional Footballers’ Association insist that players should not accept it.
 Clubs are frustrated with the PFA for attempting to block wage cuts at all levels when the reality is that some will not be able to pay their players in the coming months unless they drastically change their finances.
 Warburton told Sky: “We are all working guys and taking pay cuts or losing money is never comfortable. But the fact is there is a huge elephant in the room with nobody noticing it never mind talking about it.