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Sports Friday, April 10, 2020 A month into lockdown, torn over return to action

Balotelli’s Brescia accept player pay cuts

MILAN: A month after Serie A last saw a ball will not be awarded.” But Lazio president Clau- striker Romelu Lukaku and England defender kicked football-mad is torn over whether to dio Lotito, whose club are second, one point be- Ashley Young. With at least three weeks of return to action or scrap the season as the coro- hind Juventus as they chase their first title in two preparation needed, and the current ban running navirus crisis continues to keep the nation on decades, has been keen to return. until April 13, training would resume at the end lockdown. Juve are also leaning towards a return to ac- of the month. Endless dates have been proposed from May, tion as they target a ninth consecutive ‘Scud- But some players remain sceptical. “We’re through to September and October, all depend- etto’. Juve president Andrea , as head of eager to go, but we know this is a global pan- ing “on when health conditions allow”. The the European Club Association (ECA), issued a demic, some things are bigger and more impor- Mediterranean country has been under siege joint letter with UEFA and European Leagues, tant than football,” Roma’s England defender since the COVID-19 disease took a grip on Feb- stating: “Any decision of abandoning domestic Chris Smalling said on Twitter. ruary 22, and no Serie A matches have been competitions is, at this stage, premature and not “We know there will be a lot of games to play played March 9. justified.” in a short time, so we need to be ready for that. In the midst of the health crisis which has Italy’s sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora “We need two or three weeks training to get claimed the lives of nearly 18,000 people, Italy’s and Italian Football Federation (FIGC) chief back up to full speed — and then it could be a top clubs have been at loggerheads over when Gabriele Gravina have already started to lay the busy run of games.” is best to resume this season, if ever. The Lom- groundwork for a return. Gravina met with mem- The final decision will depend on the virus, bardy region — home to Inter Milan and AC bers of the FIGC medical commission on with 542 reported new deaths on Wednesday in Milan — has recorded 9,722 deaths while the Wednesday to analyse the situation and draw up Italy, and at least 140,000 people infected. neighbouring , the home region of a protocol for a resumption of activities. “If and Meanwhile, Serie A’s Brescia, who want the champions Juventus has also been hard hit. when we have the green light for a gradual Italian season stopped because of the coron- Mario Balotelli Among the most vocal supporters of the sea- restart, the world of football must be ready,” said avirus pandemic, announced on Wednesday son being scrapped are clubs located in the Gravina. their players have agreed to salary cuts. northern regions, such as Brescia and Torino. “Given the role that football plays in Italian In a statement adressed to season-ticket like to avoid resuming (the season) out of re- Brescia president Massimo Cellino warned last society, I am convinced that we can make an im- holders, president Massimo Cellino praised “the spect for the sad reality of Brescia,” the team week his club, who are at the epicentre of Italy’s portant contribution to the whole country.” The great sensitivity and responsibility shown by our added. They were promoted to the top flight last outbreak, were ready to forfeit their matches if date, however, remains uncertain although Grav- players who, almost all, have accepted very season and are currently bottom of the table, the season resumes, saying that “returning to ina has considered several options. quickly the proposals to reduce salaries, in order nine points from safety. League leaders Juventus play is pure madness”. At present May 24 seems to be the earliest to protect the integrity of the club in such a del- announced late last month that they had cut their Brescia opted for a more conciliatory tone and June 7 the latest, with 13 rounds of games in icate moment”. players’ and coach Maurizio Sarri’s salaries over Wednesday, saying a statement: “The resump- some cases to be played through to mid-July. No details were given on how much players the period from March to June. tion of the championship is a possibility that the With those dates in mind clubs have started to at the promoted club, who include Italian inter- The Italian champions estimated the cuts club would like to avoid while respecting the sad recall foreign players who had left Italy and need national Mario Balotelli, had agreed to forego. would have “a positive impact of 90 million reality of Brescia.” to respect the two weeks quarantine on their re- The town of Brescia is at the epicentre of euros on the 2019/2020 financial year”. The Ital- Torino president Urbano Cairo agreed: “In turn. Inter Milan have seven players who fled the Italy’s coronavirus crisis, with nearly 10,000 ian footballers’ association (AIC) has rejected my opinion, the championship is over. The title virus to be with their families including Belgian people infected by the virus. “The club would attempts by clubs to cut salaries. — AFP

it.” The relationship between Barca’s players Barca president and board has been strained for several months, Real Madrid players accept with Lionel Messi’s public criticism of technical seeks reshuffle secretary Eric Abidal in February just one of a up to 20 percent pay cut number of off-field controversies. Messi took another swipe at the Barca of club board board last week, when confirming the squad would take a 70 percent pay cut during the MADRID: Real Madrid players have agreed percent less if the current campaign is ter- coronavirus crisis. to cut their salaries by as much as a fifth, the minated. The cuts will shave between 28 mil- BARCELONA: Barcelona president Josep The Argentine accused Bartomeu of under- La Liga club announced on Wednesday, as lion and 56 million euros ($30.4 million and Maria Bartomeu, whose tenure has been under- mining the players during recent negotiations. Spanish football remains on hold due to the $60.8 million) off Real’s salary bill. It also mined by tense relations with players this sea- “It never ceases to amaze us that from coronavirus pandemic. means the club has avoided using the partial son, wants to reform the club’s management within the club there were those who tried to In a statement, Real said players and unemployment (ERTE) scheme that cut because he distrusts certain directors, accord- put us under the magnifying glass and tried to coaches from the side’s football and basket- Barcelona and Atletico Madrid players’ ing to vice-president Emili Rousaud. add pressure to do something that we always ball teams, as well as key directors, had vol- salaries by 70 percent. “Bartomeu called me and told me he wanted knew we would do,” Messi wrote on social untarily agreed to the reduction, of either 10 La Liga has recommended clubs take ad- to change the management because he was media. or 20 percent, “depending on the circum- vantage of the scheme, and both Sevilla and suspicious of some of the directors, me in- Messi’s message was soon posted on the stances that may affect the closing of the cur- Espanyol have also put in a request to be in- cluded,” Rousaud, who had been tipped to suc- pages of nearly all of his Barcelona teammates. rent 2019/20 sports season”. cluded on the ERTE scheme. ceed Bartomeu as president, told Cadena Ser The controversy further increased the pressure Real didn’t say what circumstances would Over 14,000 people have died from radio on Wednesday. on Bartomeu and the Barcelona board ahead of affect the rate of salary cut, but Spanish COVID-19 in Spain, the second worst hit “He told me things had been leaked to the presidential elections due next year. However, media reported players will receive 10 per- country from the virus after Italy, with press that upset the players and he thought I Bartomeu will not be eligible to run for re-elec- cent less if the season is completed and 20 146,690 registered cases. — AFP had been critical of how the board had handled tion in 2021 having served two terms.—AFP