Watford FC players agree to accept 30 per cent wage deferral

Watford FC became the third English club after Southampton and West Ham United to accept a partly deferred wage in the coronavirus pandemic situation. Meanwhile, Arsenal players have agreed to take a 12.5% cut in their salaries while their London neighbours Chelsea have agreed to a 10% cut. The clubs are going through a financial crunch with domestic leagues across Europe suspended for an indefinite period.

Watford captain Troy Deeney asserted that the decision was taken in the ‘best interests’ of the club, which is going through the financial crisis as most of the other clubs in Europe. Club chairman and chief executive Scott Duxbury stated that the club is grateful to the players for the support shown.

"We are grateful to the players for recognizing the importance of the situation and for their support of this fantastic club,” said Duxbury, as reported by BBC.

"It is a show of unity which we know our supporters and the wider Watford community will appreciate, and shows an awareness of the need for everybody to pull together in these incredibly challenging times,” added the official.

The Premier League proposed a 30% pay-cut, but the Professional Footballers’ Association did not approve it due to tax issues. Competitive football has been stalled in England for more than a month now, due to the Covid-19 outbreak with still no clarity on when it might resume.