March 25, 2020 - NK Osijek and Dinamo Zagreb are the first two Croatian clubs to reduce the wages of players and employees during the corona crisis.
Drastic times call for drastic measures, and during the corona era, we’ve seen athletes around the world hit hard by the effects of the global pandemic.
Croatian sport has been on hold since the beginning of the month, which has been especially tough for Croatian football. While HNS announced that the league must end no later than June 28, we’re still unsure of a potential start date, as Croatia is on lockdown until April 19.
Clubs are struggling to stay alive, and players and employees are the ones having the suffer.
Namely, the players of NK Osijek were offered a salary cut due to the coronavirus crisis, which they accepted, reports Glas Slavonije.
Thus, the club will reduce salaries by 50%, and 25% will be paid back when they return to the pitch.
They were the first club in Croatia to make this move, which we believe many more will follow to avoid financial problems.
"We were the first to decide on such measures, but I believe that all other clubs will very quickly do the same thing," said Osijek President Ivan Mestrovic.
Of course, this will not be an easy period for footballers and employees alike, but in the long run, this might be the saving grace.
After Osijek, Dinamo became the second Croatian club to reduce costs by reducing player and employee wages due to the coronavirus crisis, reports Nogomet Plus.
Unlike Osijek, whose employees and players will receive 50% lower pay (25% of which are non-refundable) until football resumes at Maksimir, they have opted for even more drastic measures. Namely, employees and players will receive only a third in the next six months - one third will be paid after the start of the competition, and one third will have to be given up permanently.
In its statement, the Dinamo Management stated:
“From the onset of the crisis caused by the Coronavirus - Covid 19, the management of GNK Dinamo has been in constant session and analysis of the consequences of the global crisis that caused the world economy to stall and completely halt our core business in sport.
The strategy that we have decided to counteract the consequences of this crisis on society as a whole, and in particular on sport and football as its most prominent part, aims at preserving all jobs in Dinamo. This means that we strive to ensure that none of our players, coaches, physicians, physiotherapists, economists, stadium maintenance workers, and club administration are jobless and secure the conditions to live and function in dignity at this globally critical moment.
In order to succeed in this, all the stakeholders of the club must bear the brunt of this crisis, in proportion to their income and the other benefits of playing for and being employed by Dinamo. Considering the uncertainty of the continuation of the competition, the postponement of EURO 2020, the unknown start date of the new season in Croatia and Europe, the unknown about the timing and extent of the summer deadline and the overall economic crisis that has arisen, primarily to preserve the overall stability and liquidity of our club, the management of GNK DINAMO made the following decisions:
Employees earning more than HRK 7,500.00 (average income of the City of Zagreb) will be paid this amount and the difference up to the full amount of the salary as follows:
- one-third of the difference between the average income and the full amount of salary is paid regularly
- one-third will be paid within six months from the date of the first official game of GNK Dinamo
- one-third of the salary will not be paid permanently
- this measure shall be valid until 30 September 2020 and shall enter into force immediately.
2. Players and coaches will be paid as follows:
- one-third of the benefits will be paid on a regular basis
- one-third of the proceeds will be paid within six months of the date of the first official game of GNK Dinamo
- one-third of the benefits will not be paid permanently
- this measure shall be valid until 30 September 2020 and shall enter into force immediately.
3. The next two team preparations will be held in Croatia without going to the usual foreign destinations
4. This year's edition of the Mladen Ramljak Memorial Tournament is completely canceled
5. We continue to take additional measures to reduce all costs other than those necessary for the functioning of the Club
The decision shall take effect immediately. In these moments, we invite all players, coaches and employees to contribute with their positivity and community to the Club to continue its sports success and maintain its status as a leader in the sports excellence of Croatia and this part of Europe.
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