Liverpool reverse plan to furlough staff after supporter backlash
- Liverpool backtrack over plans to use the UK government’s job retention scheme to pay non-playing staff’s wages during the Covid-19 pandemic
Apologising to their own supporters, Liverpool on Monday reversed a decision to apply their furloughed non-playing staff for the British government’s job retention scheme during the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the scheme implemented to help businesses survive the national lockdown, staff can be put on furlough and receive 80 per cent of their salaries from the government, up to a maximum of £2,500 (US$3,000) a month.
Liverpool’s about-turn came after two days of fans and former players of the European champions expressing unhappiness with the club’s furloughing plans.
“We believe we came to the wrong conclusion last week to announce that we intended to apply to the coronavirus retention scheme and furlough staff due to the suspension of the Premier League football calendar,” Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore said in a message to fans, “and are truly sorry for that.”
Players remain on full pay at the club, who are 25 points clear with nine games to go in a Premier League on hold as sporting events are banned in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Tottenham, who lost to Liverpool in last season’s Champions League final, have disregarded a backlash from their supporters and politicians by pressing ahead with plans revealed a week ago to furlough staff.