By Brian Bariyo Tumuramye
Borussia Monchengladbach’s players have offered to forgo their wages, with the German Football League (DFL) warning the coronavirus pandemic could affect thousands of jobs.
The top two divisions in Germany are currently suspended until 2 April.
“The players know what’s going on,” said the Bundesliga club’s managing director Stephan Schippers.
“It is their job. They have already informed themselves and thought about it.”
On Wednesday the German Football Association (DFB) said the national team would donate 2.5m euros (£2.3m) to help fight the coronavirus crisis in the country.
According to German newspaper Bild Borussia are the first professional club in Germany at which players have voluntarily offered to sacrifice part of their salary, with coach Marco Rose and the club’s directors following suit.
“The team has offered to forgo salary if it can help the club and the employees,” added Schippers.
“The goal is for Borussia Monchengladbach to survive this corona crisis. The goal is to do this without having to give notice of termination.
“To do this, we will all have to work hard together and we cannot rule out that this will also include measures being taken by affected companies throughout Germany, for example the use of short-time work.”
The football industry in Germany currently employs around 56,000 people.
On Monday, DFL chife Christian Seifert outlined that the coronavirus outbreak could have, with broadcast, sponsorship and ticketing money all affected.
Schippers, who stressed, “every euro we don’t have to refund to fans for postponed games will help us”, agreed with his assessment that playing behind closed doors could be the “only way to survive” even though it would still cost them around 2m euros pergame to do so.
“We all agree Bundesliga football without spectators is not what we want,” added Schippers.
“But for the next few weeks and months we have to realise that only a continuation of the Bundesliga games – without spectators – should enable many clubs to survive economically.”
