Bayern Munich Players to Take 20% Pay Cut to Help Employees Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
By Ben Carter
Bayern Munich's players and senior staff will take a 20% pay cut to help fund other areas of the club during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Rekordmeister, like most other teams across Europe, haven't played a competitive fixture since the start of March, when national football associations initially suspended sporting events to help control the coronavirus.
Clubs at all levels are facing dire financial concerns as a result of the outbreak, but Bild's Christian Falk has confirmed Bayern Munich's players will take a 20% pay cut to help pay for staff in other areas of the club.
Bayern's senior management team, most likely including the likes of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hasan Salihamidžić, will also take a 20% pay cut.
As well as providing funds for other areas of the club, it will also allow Bayern Munich to better manage their overall finances while there is no money coming in either from ticket sales, matchday revenue and from television deals.
This decision has come after a meeting between the club's senior management team and players.
Bayern Munich have followed a pattern of high-profile clubs where their players have taken a pay cut to help fund other areas, with the likes of Dortmund, Juventus and Barcelona already taking similar steps.
Before the coronavirus outbreak brought European football to a halt, Bayern Munich had taken the lead in the race for the Bundesliga title - which would be their eighth league title in a row.
Borussia Dortmund sit four points behind the Rekordmeister in the current standings, while RB Leipzig are a further one point off top sport.
Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen are both within 10 points of Bayern Munich, although both clubs are prioritising the final Champions League spot rather than any hopeful title challenge when the season restarts.
For more fromBen Carter, follow him onTwitter!