Published 10:17 IST, October 7th 2020
Mesut Ozil offers to pay salary of Gunnersaurus to save him from 'being redundant'
German footballer player Mesut Ozil has offered to pay full salary of his team’s mascot in a bid to save him from being “redundant”.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
German footballer player Mesut Ozil has offered to pay full salary of his team’s mascot in a bid to save him from being “redundant”. Ozil who plays for Arsenal took to twitter to offer reimbursement for the entire salary of the “big green guy” till the time he plays for the team. Describing the “Gunnersaurus”, the 31 year old worte that” Jerry Quy” was an integral part of the club and the news had left him ”sad”.With over 386 thousand likes and hundreds of comments, his kind act is now winning the internet.
#JusticeforGunnersaurus
Why did Arsenal fire Gunnersaurus?
Jerry Quy, the man inside the costume since the birth of the mascot in 1993, has been let go as the Arsenal board wants to ease the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This decision has left the fans furious. From fans to club legends, a host of those associated with Arsenal have bid teary-eyed goodbyes to the famous mascot.
The part-time mascot has been a club loyalist. Apart from seeing the club through the highs and lows, including the Invincibles of 2003-04, Jerry Quy also missed his brother's wedding in order to be available to entertain fans during a home game. Despite his incredible commitment, he has been relieved of his duties given the situation. With no supporters to entertain, Arsenal have deemed Gunnersaurus' job surplus to requirements.
Earlier, Arsenal became the first Premier League team to agree pay cuts with their first-team squad of 12.5% over 12 months, although that was reduced to 7.5% after the Gunners qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup. The club, however, made as many as 55 posts redundant as they look to overcome the financial pinch they are facing due to the absence of fans in the stadium.
Image Credits: Gunnersaurus Twitter
Updated 10:16 IST, October 7th 2020