April 6 – European champions and runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool were accused of betraying their “morals and values” after joining a number of other top-flight English clubs in furloughing non-playing staff during the coronavirus pandemic.
It follows similar moves by Newcastle, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Norwich to take advantage of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, under which employers can claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ wages up to £2,500 to ensure staff on temporary leave received their full salaries.
Former Liverpool players Jamie Carragher and Stan Collymore denounced the move by Liverpool, who in February announced pre-tax profits of £42 million for 2018/19.
“(Manager) Jurgen Klopp showed compassion for all at the start of this pandemic, senior players heavily involved in @premierleague players taking wage cuts. Then all that respect & goodwill is lost, poor this @LFC,” tweeted Carragher.
Collymore was even more forthright, tweeting: “I don’t know of any Liverpool fan of any standing that won’t be anything other than disgusted at the club for furloughing staff.”
Another former Anfield star, Germany’s Dietmar Hamann added: “Astonished by the news that @LFC takes advantage of the furlough scheme to claim 80% of non-playing staff wages back off the government.
That’s not what the scheme was designed for. Contrary to the morals and values of the club I got to know.”
Liverpool said staff would be paid 100% of their salaries to ensure nobody was financially disadvantaged.
A statement from the club said: “Even prior to the decision on staff furloughing, there was a collective commitment at senior levels of the club – on and off the pitch – with everyone working towards a solution that secures jobs for employees of the club during this unprecedented crisis.”
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