Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are planning to slash their first-team wages by 30 per cent ahead of the 2020-21 La Liga season, according to Spanish newspaper Diario AS, reports dailymail.co.uk.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused massive financial difficulty for football clubs around the world, but pay cuts could help mitigate some of the damage.
Barcelona hope to save around €230million (£203million) due to the plans. The Catalans were allowed the biggest La Liga wage bill at the start of the season, amounting to £583million.
Barca players volunteered a 70 per cent reduction in wages at the end of March, lasting for as long as the state of emergency in Spain called on March 14, which is now being lifted in places.
With Barcelona’s highest-earner Lionel Messi reportedly earning £500,000-a-week, his wage would be cut down to £350,000-a-week with a 30 per cent reduction.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid players agreed to take a pay cut of between 10 and 20 per cent for the rest of the season, depending on how it finishes.
Current plans are aiming to have La Liga back up and running by the middle of June, but it is unlikely fans will be allowed to attend games until next year.
Clubs rely on stadium advertising for a large portion of their income, which will be lost out on if games are played behind closed doors.
Barca will consider playing their remaining LaLiga fixtures at the 6,000 capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium if Madrid go ahead with plans to play at the 6,000 capacity Alfredo Di Stefano stadium.
Both clubs feel that the psychological effect on players of playing without fans could be limited by playing in smaller arenas.
Barcelona players were spotted back in training on Friday as the stars prepare for the season to resume.
