Southampton midfielder Oriel Romeu has admitted it ‘didn’t make sense’ to him when Health Secretary Matt Hancock called for Premier League footballers to cut their wages.
Hancock recently called for Premier League footballers to play their part amid the crisis caused by the Coronavirus outbreak.
The minister’s comments were widely denigrated, with many believing he had targets footballers and tried to make them scapegoats amid mounting pressure on the government.
Romeu isn’t sure of that but does say he found it strange to call for wage cuts given the government needs all the money they can get from taxes.
“The minister of health has come out asking for a cut in salaries for footballers, which did not make much sense from what I saw either,” he told La Vanguardia.
“If you cut wages, you stop making your social security tax payments.
“People try to demand, but I am sure that many times they speak without having all the information, without knowing everything that has been collaborated.”
With numerous companies struggling across the country, speculation is already rife about how football clubs will respond to the financial issues caused by the crisis.
The likes of Liverpool, Bournemouth and Tottenham have already reversed decisions to use the government’s furlough scheme after public outcry.
It’s expected that several will put wage cuts in place to help ease the financial burden, something Romeu’s club Southampton have already done.
And he says that decision was made in an attempt to ensure those on lower wages at the club were covered.
“We had been talking to the club for days.
“The intention was to have a sufficient amount to ensure that everyone who charged lower amounts was covered and had no contract problems. That was the objective.
“We calculate how much was needed and set aside that money for the day the club needs that liquidity.
“It was important to us to be prepared in case this takes three or four more months.”
And what about if the season cannot be finished? Several significant decisions will have to be made, namely at the top and bottom of the table.
Liverpool currently lead the table by 25 points but with nine games of the season remaining, are not technically champions yet.
At the other end of the table, there are several sides involved in a relegation battle, although not Southampton, who are currently seven points clear of the bottom three.
Romeu would prefer for the season to be completed if possible but insists Liverpool should be crowned champions if it cannot be.
“It would be fairer for Liverpool to be proclaimed champion than Manchester City,” he added.
“If someone has to be proclaimed, it has to be the first, but if the league is not over, I think something is missing. They have had a great year, but there are eight games left.
“All the rest, Champions League positions, Uefa, relegations, what are we going to do with it? We proclaim a champion and nothing else, leaving everything to the air.
“I think that if the situation is properly controlled, we can return to normal, even if it ends in September. Personally, I prefer to play the whole season to give champions.”
