Players and staff of all Singapore Premier League clubs will not face any wage cuts during this period of economic doom and gloom caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter sent by Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Lim Kia Tong addressed to all members, Lim said, “After extensive discussions with the respective local Singapore Premier League (SPL) clubs’ chairmen and relevant stakeholders, the unanimous decision is that there will be no revisions made to the wages of their club players and staff at the current moment.
“This was made possible with the supplementary subsidy that was made available by the FAS in order to aid the clubs during this difficult period.”
There had been murmurs over the last two weeks that players and personnel may need to face wage cuts as the Singapore Premier League ground to a halt as a result of touch social distancing measures put in place to flatten the COVID-19 curve in Singapore.
Clubs have also had to shutter their gaming room operations and betting outlets, which had led to a further loss of income.
Apart from the wages, the FAS president also informed members in his note that it is not possible to begin the amateur and women’s competitions which was scheduled to start in the second quarter.
“The FAS and myself have initiated discussions with the various Presidents and managers of these clubs and we will continue these engagements in the coming months as we attempt to work out a viable solution that would see the players return to the pitch while the clubs still receive the necessary financial assistance that they had been eligible for,” said Lim.
See full text of Lim’s letter here.
Main photo: Geylang International FC
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