Why are some clubs in a hurry than others with ERTE?

While the clubs meet among themselves to agree on strategies against the crisis, the majority also fight with their players at this time to ask them to collaborate as soon as possible and not in due time, as they demand. Some are finding facilities (Alavés), others seem to be going out charging (Barça) and some more have officially slipped it but have not yet communicated it with hair and signs to their dressing room (Saúl dixit). Soccer players are presenting battle. The captains have already made it clear to AFE, the last time last Friday and Saturday in two telematic meetings differentiated by category, which are in charge of helping anyone in need during these hard times. In fact, although the media focuses on Messi (one million euros for the cause) and other big stars, most are contributing with different donations. However, they do not swallow with the ERTE (Temporary Employment Regulation File).

Many leaders believe that footballers only want to save time and negotiate a salary drop when they have all the data in hand: when the championship restarts, when it ends and what the losses have been. They are not very confident that FIFA can issue a general order, because each contract is a story, although they would do well to limit wages. However, the clubs consider that the footballers in Spain are playing with fire and that they are already being pointed out by public opinion, since Bundesliga professionals have lowered their salaries by 20%, German clubs in Europe help to the modest and the Juve players are going to save 90 million to their club in this break. And even so, there are presidents more and less uneasy about this supposed positioning in LaLiga, with the Second Presidents being the most in a hurry. The reason for this double speed is multiple.

On the one hand, as a study carried out by Palco23, “The evolution of the business in the last five years in the clubs reveals the clear correlation of television money to the payment of wages, but the budgets reveal that there are clubs that could sustain their wage bill, while for others it is essential to survive” . Not everyone is equally stressed.

In addition, the continuous changes that are taking place in the labor legislation influences. On March 27, a new Royal Decree was approved, which will be “automatically extended” the contracts of those professional athletes affected by an ERTE derived from COVID-19, either due to force majeure or due to economic, organizational or production causes. In this way, many clubs have understood that it is better to wait and reach an agreement to reduce the salary during the time without competing without affecting the premiums, the card or the image rights. Only to monthly income.

The nature of the footballers' contracts also counts. The clubs most in a hurry to clarify the picture are those that pay their income to players in 12 or 14 great equal payouts. Those who take it slower are those, like the older ones, who continue to pay with the old method: 12 more or less reasonable pay for the figures handled by an elite professional and two extras, usually at Christmas and June, where the bulk of the token is paid. These clubs see no problem waiting and readjustments are made based on summer pay.

In short, all the clubs have fears, but some see their benefits at risk and others, simply, have short-term treasury emergencies. “We are talking about many solutions for what can happen and not for what is happening,” says a First Vice President. “There are clubs that do not want to pay and there are clubs that cannot pay. And soon we are going to have problems with the payments of player rentals, ”says the manager of a historic club of Segunda. Here is a party.