Borussia Monchengladbach players offer to forgo wages during coronavirus

Borussia Monchengladbach players have offered to forgo their wages during the coronavirus outbreak in order to help employees who will be financially affected.

The clubs managing director, Stephan Schippers, said “the team has offered to forgo salary if it can help the club and the employees” with manager Marco Rose and the board of directors also taking the same action so that the money can be used to help club employees that could see a financial detriment from the crisis.

Monchengladbach are currently the first Bundesliga club to announce this kind of action but it is looking like more clubs across Europe may invite their players to follow suit to ensure that the epidemic does not have significant long lasting financial implications for staff and lower league teams who may have already been financially struggling.

Schippers added that “the goal is for Borussia Monchengladbach to survive this corona crisis. The goal is to do this without having to give notice of termination” however, he did say that Bundesliga games may have to be played behind closed doors because it could be the only way that clubs can financially survive. 

The German Football Association also announced that it would pledge €2.5million to help during the coronavirus outbreak. 

The Bundesliga is currently suspended until 2nd April but this will likely be extended and the last round of league fixtures were played behind closed doors.