Athletic Bilbao players agree to salary reduction, club confirm

MADRID (Reuters) – Athletic Bilbao’s first-team squad have agreed to an 8.43% salary reduction because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the club said on Friday.

The agreement is the second reached by the club, who famously operate a Basque-only signings policy, and their players since the onset of the pandemic.

Last April, the first team agreed to a six percent reduction. The new agreement will last until the end of the current season.

“The agreement means a fixed reduction of 8.43% of the first-team salaries this season, which could reach up to 10.26% depending on different, varying circumstances,” a club statement read.

“The step forward taken by the players, the second in less than 10 months, shows an exercising of responsibility and loyalty to our institution and its members — something the club wishes to publicly highlight and thank.”

(Reporting by Joseph Walker; editing by Clare Fallon)