With clubs around the world feeling the pinch due to a lack of matches, they have taken measures to reduce their spending. In this country, that has unfortunately involved players being temporarily laid off.
Similar things have happened in other leagues, and it has not been all that well received.
Swiss Super League club FC Sion recently attempted to introduce sweeping pay cuts to the first team squad, greatly reducing their salaries. When some members of the team refused due to the one-day notice period, they were sacked.
That nine-man group included former Arsenal and Barcelona player Alex Song, who said he is planning on appealing the dismissal to FIFA.
Speaking to RMC Sport (h/t Evening Standard), he claimed the players were not given a sufficient amount of time to consider the offer before they were sacked:
We played a friendly on Friday [March 20] and we were supposed to meet with the president on Monday, then on Tuesday, he said. We had no news.
We received a WhatsApp message on Tuesday afternoon to tell us that everyone had to sign a paper telling us that we were being lowered our wages, that we were going to be paid around 12,000 euros.
We were to return the paper the next day at noon. We received this document without explanation."
I am a footballer, it is not my job. There are people to verify that. I couldn't sign it, we didn't have any discussions.
All the clubs are talking today. Our captain didn't know anything. We decided together not to sign this document. We wanted to talk.
I did not make any professional misconduct. All the clubs talk to their players to find solutions. We do not understand what happened. No one can understand.
The dismissals have also been labelled as unjust by the Swiss Player's Union, who have demanded that the decision be reversed.
Like almost all other European leagues, the Swiss Super League is on an indefinite break due to public health concerns.
Image: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com
