Roy Keane Disagrees With Player Pay Cut Measures

Clubs across Europe have had to resort to cost cutting measures by reducing wages of their players and furloughing members of non-playing staff to save money.

A proposed 30 percent pay cut across board for all Premier League players to help the fight against Covid-19 was rejected but they later came together to launch the #PlayersTogether initiative to raise funds for the National Health Service.

Earlier this week Arsenal agreed a 12.5 percent wage reduction with their players and coaching staff but three players including Mesut Ozil rejected the idea and has since come under immense criticism.

Keane is however adamant that the big clubs have enough money at their disposal and their players should have the liberty to decide what to do with their wages as he would not have agreed to a reduction himself.

"I'm not sure how I would have dealt with it, but I do have a lot of sympathy for the players," Keane told Sky Sports. "Once again, a lot of the players are getting criticised.

"The way I would look at it now - and I'm probably talking about players at the really big clubs, who have a lot of wealthy owners, with a lot of pressure to take pay cuts - I wouldn't take a pay cut from anybody if I was at one of the bigger clubs.

"I know there's pressure on players, but it's nobody's business what you do with your wages. You take your wages, and if you want to be generous, go ahead and do it.

"There's a lot of speculation out there - I don't think anybody should be believing what they're reading about what players are doing, whether they're taking 10 per cent, 15 per cent.

"Eventually there've been a few statements from clubs probably near the bottom of the Premier League over the past week or so. They've obviously taken 10 or 15 per cent.

"But I don't think any players should feel under pressure from clubs - particularly bigger clubs - to take pay cuts.

"They've signed a contract. I know everyone's different, different personal details, but your contract with the club is a personal matter.

"This idea that all the players should take a pay cut, that all the players have to do this, I think that's nonsense. I think it's up to the individual.

"If they want to stick to their guns and say, 'Listen, I'm sticking to my full wages while we've got a billionaire in the background', then do it.

"Don't be swayed by some sort of pressure by the media, who will constantly write lies anyway about certain players. All it is speculation.

"I'm really surprised by the amount of people I suppose jumping on the bandwagon with their criticism of the players. It's nobody's business.

"I'm talking about the top clubs here, with the really wealthy owners. Obviously I've got a lot of sympathy for the clubs in the lower leagues. You obviously make sacrifices, of course.

"But the players at the top, where the clubs have the money, stick to your guns."