Published 12:06 IST, April 8th 2020
Liverpool furlough: LFC owners FSG believe information was leaked by rival PL club
The decision of the Liverpool furlough was reportedly leaked by a rival Premier League team as the Reds made a U-turn over their staff's pay cuts.
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The 'Liverpool furlough' decision was met by plenty of criticism from former players and pundits alike as the non-playing staff were only allowed to take home only 80 percent of their total wages. This forced the Premier League side to backtrack on their decision and pay the Liverpool staff their full amount in salary. However, the owners of the club, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), felt the information regarding the Liverpool furlough leaked prior to the announcement courtesy of a rival Premier League club.
Liverpool furlough leaked: Liverpool staff furloughed
The initial announcement of the Liverpool furlough was made on Saturday. The statement concerned the Liverpool staff as it revealed they would take a 20 percent pay cut amid the coronavirus crisis. Former Reds players and top journalists including Jamie Carragher, Stan Collymore and Piers Morgan slammed the decision made by the club which affected the Liverpool staff. The primary reason for the Liverpool furlough criticism was because owners FSG are worth over $6.1 billion, according to Forbes. The turnover for Liverpool breached $657 million over the last financial year as the Merseyside giants made a profit of £52 million.
Liverpool furlough leaked: Club reverse decision to furlough Liverpool staff
The harsh criticism from the decision to furlough the Liverpool staff reportedly 'shocked' the owners FSG. According to reports from The Athletic, there were a number of conference calls made on Monday to limit the damage of the Liverpool furlough decision. Peter Moore, CEO of the club, released a statement on Monday claiming that the Liverpool furlough decision was reversed. This meant that the Liverpool staff would be able to take home their full salaries during the time of crisis. Here is the latest Liverpool furlough update:
#LFC chief executive officer Peter Moore has issued the following letter to supporters. https://t.co/QB30hZJX9T
— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) April 6, 2020
Liverpool furlough leaked: Premier League coronavirus
Although FSG expressed their shock at the initial reaction towards the decision to furlough staff, they reportedly made hasty decisions by issuing a statement on Saturday. The hierarchy at Anfield felt the details of the Liverpool furlough leaked just before the announcement was made public. The accusations against the leaking of the information are aimed at a Premier League rival.
The Premier league coronavirus news has halted football in the English top flight. A return of action anytime soon seems unlikely as the spread of the deadly plague continues. However, in a fresh Premier League coronavirus update, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin revealed that he fully expects Liverpool will be handed the Premier League title regardless of the conclusion of the season.
12:06 IST, April 8th 2020