The Covid-19 pandemic is hitting French football head-on.
And each club tries to find solutions.
Reims and Lens in particular, in Ligue 1, have announced in recent days that they have reached an agreement with their players for a drop in their salaries.
OL suffered a net loss of 50.6 million euros over the last six months of 2020 (against a profit of 14.9 million euros over the same period in 2019).
Ticket sales (1.9 million euros over the last six months of 2020 compared to 21.1 million euros over the last six months of 2019) and TV rights (44.2 million euros over the six last months of 2020 against 77.8 million euros over the last six months of 2019) are notably in free fall.
OL Groupe estimates the total direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic at around 111 million euros, taking into account in particular the club's non-qualification for the European Cup after the end of the championship and the Mediapro fiasco.
Currently, Lyon is also in discussions with its players to reduce salaries.
“We hope to achieve a number of measures aimed at optimizing and reducing our payroll because the losses are significant over the half-year.
They will also be used throughout the year, ”explains President Jean-Michel Aulas.
A drop for top earners
OL do not intend to reduce the salaries of players who earn less than 50,000 euros per month.
For those who earn more, a 25% drop is considered.
"I met the players recently, the biggest salaries would be impacted in absolute terms," continues the Lyon president.
I proposed to them, as it is a very difficult measure to put in place, to have the possibility of recovering according to the results (by bonuses) all part of the effort that would have been made for the optimization of their salaries.
There was no delusional enthusiasm right away, but it did raise the issue.
I thank all the players and their representatives for playing the listening game.
"
A listed club, OL also offers another solution to its players.
"We imagine that the club's action will rebound very quickly as soon as the pandemic has passed," said Jean-Michel Aulas.
We intend to offer players, those who wish, to acquire shares up to the salary savings achieved.
By estimating that they will be able to recover and largely compensate, if the rebound is important, the investment which they make by agreeing to decrease their remuneration.
"
