Cyprus soccer players reject 23% pay cut proposal

Cyprus soccer players rejected a Cyprus Football Association proposal of a 23% cut to salaries aimed at helping teams cope with the financial strain of a season suspended due to coronavirus restrictions.

The players’ association said in a letter to the FA on Monday that it’s unfair for players to take such a hit on their annual pay when three quarters of the season has been played.

It said cuts should be calculated relative to the losses teams will incur during the period of suspended play and not the full season.

Under the proposal, the association calculated players would be paid only a fifth of their monthly income from the March 15 start of the season’s suspension to the end of June when it’s expected to be completed.

The players urged the FA to come up with a “more reasonable” proposal that follows FIFA guidelines and was calculated based on the teams’ real losses.

“One side shouldn’t come out the winner at the expense of the other,” the association said.

The FA proposal didn’t apply to players making 2,000 euros ($2,200) or less per month.

The FA responded that it’s proposal was fair, and was formulated in consultation with FIFA and UEFA based on proposals that were implemented in other “more advanced” championships to help teams deal with coronavirus-related losses.

The FA urged the players’ association to sit down and negotiate its proposal, and warned that another rejection would compel the FA to meet with club bosses to figure out “the next steps.”